City Council - Special Meeting

So when Tamisha walks out tonight, hey, good evening. Good evening and welcome. Good evening. Good evening everybody and welcome to the uh special city council meeting of the Antioch City Council for uh tonight, Tuesday uh April the 21st, 2026. Uh Mr. Clerk, if you could please call the role. Thank you. Council member Roachcha here.

Council member Torres Walker present. Council member Wilson here. Mayor Prom Freighus, present. Mayor Bernal, here. Thank you. We have a quorum at 5:01 p.m.

All right. If you please join us in the pledge of allegiance. All right. So, tonight we are here uh to conduct a budget study session. There's going to be two um items for it. The first one's going to be the fiscal year 2026-27 budget development discussion and uh then the second is going to be a workshop for the draft 5-year uh capital improvement program for 2026 through 2031. So I will turn this over to our city manager Bessie Scott for her to kick us off for the first one.

I'm sorry. No, go ahead and um I've been out of practice for a few meetings. I'm back and um giving the council a hard time. So, this continues our budget uh discussions that we started in March with follow-up items presented in attachments A, B, C, D, and E. Um as well as position vacancies, um lots of spreadsheets. So, I'm going to pass it over to our finance director. She's going to go through it and then we'll have a discussion. Yes. Thank you. Good evening. And I'm so happy that Bessie's back. I'm happy to hand my acting role back to the permanent role. So, thank you for coming back. Thanks for covering for me.

Um, so this is a continuation of our last budget study session. We've had two sessions so far. And so, um, there was some follow-up items from those uh, prior uh, sessions as city manager Scott mentioned. Attachment A is the position vacancies that was requested by council member Roachcha. That's the current vacancies as of uh, April 15th. for non-p police positions. It lists what the budget is for those and the recruitment status. Um we were also requested for a list of the consultant service contracts. Attachment B provides the list of those contracts by department. And then also the contract term, the amount, the fiscal year 26 spent year-to date. Um because the contract amount um isn't necessarily just the one year if it's a multi-year contract. Um that's the total value. So we put in the current year spent um for those contracts, the purpose of the contract as well. And then at the bottom of that attachment B, you can see it's totaled for the fiscal year 26 costs spent by general fund grant funds and other sources. Then um it was also requested to provide the um anticipated fleet replacements for next fiscal year. So attachment C contains that data. Then we were also requested to provide um American rescue plan um the status of that on page two of the staff report. You can see as of March 31st and this is a quarterly basis because that is how we report to the department of the treasury is on a quarterly basis for American Rescue Plan also known as ARPA. The projects that are still outstanding are the Angelo Kinto community response team, small business support and the downtown Wi-Fi project. The downtown Wi-Fi project is complete. Um the vendor payments are happening this month, but as of uh March 31st hadn't been spent. For the community response team, the

contract ends December 31st. There's 1.1 million remaining as of March 31st. And for small business support, there's 482,000. For ARPA guidelines, the money has to be spent by December 31st, 2026. There's no extending beyond that date. It was also requested um to know how much interest earnings had been earned on the ARPA funds because we are not required to spend that on ARPA related purposes. It becomes an unrestricted use of the funds and resolution 2024 159 that was passed um interest earnings that were earned on the ARPA special revenue fund were uh to be dedicated to the modification of the 800 West 2nd Street building. So $916,975 of interest earnings in fiscal year 25 were transferred to the capital improvement fund and another $75,900 projected for fiscal year 26 for a total of $992,875 in interest earnings allocated to the building res renovation. Um now for the uh real heart of this discussion this evening is budget deficit reduction proposals. At the uh prior study session, it was requested to bring back um potential items to address the address 5 million in deficit for fiscal year 27. So staff got together and came up with um a whole host of ideas. They options reflect a combination of direct expenditure reductions, revenue enhancements or adjustments, and other fiscal strategies that if implemented would contribute contribute toward reducing the city's projected budget shortfall. The purpose of presenting these items is not to recommend or advocate for any particular course of action, but rather to provide the city council with a range of identified options for consideration as part of the city's ongoing budget development and fiscal planning process.

The options included have been identified through internal staff review or prior council discussion and are being brought forward to ensure the council has the information necessary to evaluate potential approaches to achieving the desired level of fiscal adjustment. And you'll see at the on the table that we've included the amount and and like a yes no so that we can get council consensus. Um and then also if you want more information to be brought back once these um recommendation proposals not necessarily recommendations are are gone through the next budget study session we have we will incorporate these items into the budget to bring back for a final uh a further robust discussion of the general fund really diving down into the individual department budgets um reflecting proposals that are approved this evening. So staff recognizes that many of the options may involve service level impacts, operational changes, policy considerations or community implications. And for that reason, we believe that policy direction regarding these matters um should rest with the council this evening. So we're seeking direction on which identified options should be further developed, prioritized, or incorporated. So chart A on page three is a table of the proposals that staff has put forth. Again, not that we're advocating um one way or another because ideally we wouldn't like to have to make any um adjustments or reductions to the budget. However, in light of the fiscal constraints that we are facing and you know over 10 million in deficit spending, something needs to be done because that can't continue on a long-term basis. And many of these proposals are one-time in nature. They might be a one-time revenue enhancement. and the combination of a revenue enhancement and a reduction is a net reduction in the overall deficit. Um so we do have notes um in terms of the the chart and then other items for

consideration with potential um monetary savings. So um and then once we um get through that attachment E once we um filter through this information is other budget worksheets we do want to keep on track with budget adoption. The budget needs to be adopted by June 30th. So there's um special revenue funds, Anniac Public Financing Authority, and the um housing successor funds um to review in attachment E. Um, and then attachment D is fiscical year 27 budget proposals that were already included in the draft. Um, we've put that in table format, but then also a consensus whether to continue to include that in the numbers or not. and chart B on page six lists the current draft budget. The proposals that are in chart A on page three um when you can show whether it is a an addition or reduction to the revenues or expenditure and then what the budget looks like after those proposals. Um, so we can start to go through chart A one by one or if you want to take public comment first or how the council would like to um start moving through this budget process. I'll turn it back over to to council for how you want to proceed.

Yeah, thank you. I think um at this time we can take public comment and then we can go through the charts um one by one afterwards. So is there any public comment on this item?

Yes. Can we please have Michelle followed by Karen? Hi, good evening, mayor, city council, city manager, members of the community. Antioch animal services is not just another city program. It is where public health and safety, compassion, and community trust come together. Every day, animal services staff respond to situations most people never see or hear of. Injured and abused animals neglect cases, animal bites, frightened families, and pets that have no one else to advocate for them. This work is not optional. It is a core public health and safety function, and it reflects the values of our community. Our residents have made it clear they support having a municipal animal services program. But that support comes with an ex expectation that it is properly staffed, properly funded, and able to serve the level our community needs and deserves. Right now, staff are being asked to do more with less. And there is a real cost to that. Chronic understaffing does not just affect internal operations. It impacts response times, limits proactive work like education and compliance and creates gaps in service and the community ultimately feels it is it also reduces necessary revenue collection. When positions go unfilled, services and resources just don't slow down, they disappear. That means more loose animals, many that can be aggressive, increased health and safety risk, more abuse, neglect cases, and fewer opportunities to prevent problems before they escalate. Animal service services also plays a critical role in supporting overall public safety, neighborhood stability, and quality of life. When the

system is strained, those impacts ripple outward in the community. This is not about adding extras. It's about maintaining a baseline of service that keeps both people and animals safe even during times of fiscal distress. Investing in animal services is an investment in prevention in public health and safety and in the well-being of our community. We respectfully ask that while making budget adjustments to address the impending deficit the city faces, you recognize the essential role this department plays in our community and ensure that the resources and staffing necessary to do it its job effectively. Animal services and control is not a want, it is a need for public health, safety, and quality of life. It is also important to note that investing in our local animal services ensures ownership at the community level. There's a real value in relationships, trust, equity, and dependability when the people responding know the neighborhoods, understand the needs, and are invested and a part of the community they serve. Thank you for your time. Can we please have Karen followed by Debbie? First of all, I'd like to say I agree with everything that Michelle just said, so I won't repeat everything, but um I I am good. I'm Karen Cops, president of Homeless Animals Response Program or HARP. And I started volunteering at animal services in 1996 when people called it the pound. And many of us in this community have been active animal advocates ever since. Antioch has experienced a population surge since 1996, but services have not kept up because

resources for our shelter have been severely limited. The manager position has not been filled for years. Other employee slots also have remained unfilled for long periods. Could volunteer nonprofit animal rescue groups please collaborate with you to find workable solutions to this crisis? And it is a crisis. We see it every day. We in the community. Cutting resources for taxpayer funded shelter will exacerbate the situation. Many volunteers feed community cats and dogs and provided provide very needed medical care. We cannot do it alone and this is a crisis and we ask for your help and collaboration. Thank you Debbie followed by Dr. Jeffrey. Hello Mayor Pro Tam Council people staff and uh people in the room and watching. So, I come with two hats tonight. Uh, when I saw the meeting um for tonight, we canled our downtown Antioch Association meeting um because this was more important really to talk on behalf of the downtown businesses as well as the city. Some of the things that um were were concerning that affected downtown was the 4th of July which we do depend on some of the city funded events um to uh one of the businesses reached out and said that's one of our biggest days that can't be taken away. So um so I have two hats as I said as a downtown business for 13 years that is one of our biggest um uh events downtown and one of

our biggest uh resources. So the other issue though is community um there was an item that said community events uh would not be held unless they were funded. We have tried as the downtown association to collaborate with the city with other organizations uh as we are in our infancy stage. Um we do not have the funds. So have attempted to get grants from the city from the parks and wreck and from the city itself with no success. So we are uh doing fundraising on our own. So what I would propose is to consider that the city events still occur, but we also collaborate with a fundraising from the downtown businesses in order to keep things downtown or across the city if need be. Thank you very much. I hope you consider to keep some of the things that affect our city. Dr. Jeffrey followed by Patty Espazito. Good evening, Mayor Bernell, city council. I got a phone call this morning from some of my colleagues in the uh uh animal advocacy spayneuter community. Um they like me are concerned about potential war cuts to animal services particularly the slot with the uh animal services manager which has not been fulfilled in a long time. They're concerned because they're already seeing the effects of the strain on animal services. I can tell you from personal experience that the feral cat community that we take care of on my property has seen a spike in animals. And these are

not feral cats. These are abandoned animals. They're friendly. They are not feral. So, we can see something's going on here that is not going to be fixed if we look to animal services to take additional cuts. I think it's fair to say animal services already kind of paid their dues in terms of taking sacrifices. I know that staffing shortages. They're working hard. I don't know that it's really appropriate or the best place to look to save money. Now, I sympathize. You're in a tough spot. No doubt about it. So many cities are. But I would encourage you to think twice perhaps for going for more out of animal services. And if you do choose to go that route, and I understand it's hard, you don't want to do that without first setting up something perhaps more collaboration with the county, with other organizations. Set that in place first before you could possibly think of additional cuts there. That's not going to be easy either, but something has to be done anyway. And I wanted to bring that to your attention. My colleagues want to bring that up. Think twice before any additional stress on animal services. Thank you, Patty Espazito, followed by Lisa Kim. Good evening everyone. Um, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak. Um, doctor gave a perfect segue for what I'm going to talk about. We're similar, although I'm not a vet or a doctor. Um, I've been an animal lover all my life

and I've been a resident for Antioch for 27 years. About seven years ago, I got involved with cat rescue. And recently, two years ago, a friend of mine, Lisa Lacy, and I opened up a cat rescue called Scruffy to Fluffy Cat Rescue. If I had known the amount of work and time and finances personal, that it would take to do this work, I probably would have said no before I started. But today, I stand here and tell you that I still stand on that purpose. I don't know what purpose the Antioch shelter will take in the future, and I'm not here to bash them. I speak as a trapper. Our purpose and one of our goals in our in our rescue is to stop the overpopulation of cats in Antioch. There are so many. It's a crisis. Every block, every area that you go on to, there are pockets of cats. Not just one, multiple. And when I go to help people in their house and I start getting to know them and their neighbors and their block, they point out, "Oh, that house has cat. That house has cat. That house, we're in a crisis. Our rescues are all closed for intake and we're only at the beginning of kitten season. So, I tell you, every year that we don't deal with this, it becomes more of an issue. It's not the cat's fault. A lot of them are dumped. Like he said, there are friendly people that move away and leave their cats or people that don't like the cats in their in their backyard or their neighborhood. So, they trap them and dump them at a colony somewhere else. Um, the solution to this is a an effective and a consistent spay and neuter program. And I don't believe our Antioch shelter is equipped to do this. Um, so I I'm asking, mayor, I voted for

you and I still believe in you. I'm asking you please to reach out to county, reach out to the director and see what it will take for us to get back in a right relationship with them. They have the vets. They have the programs already set up. We need to partner with them to deal with this issue because if we don't deal with it now, it's only going to get worse. Um, if you talk to every citizen in Antioch, has everyone here have cats on their blog? Everyone have cats? I'm sure you do or if somebody on your block does, they the overpopulation needs to stop. It needs to stop at the front end. That's the only way we're going to be able to get this under control. And so that way it won't be such a burden on the community or on our shelter or our rescues. So I thank you for your time and and I hope that uh going forward we find solutions. Thank you.

Lisa Kim. Lisa Kirk, fix our shelters. So, in that title, I am with a group that does criticize, you can call it, or looks at what's happening to municipal shelters in California. We were besieged with experimental policies by UC Davis that said just leave the cats outside, don't the shelters, don't take them in, and then they cut all the spay neuter programs. For 5 years, that's happened. And that's why we're in this situation. Okay. So, you know, there's a foundation on why there's so many animals is because when number one, we don't have enough spay and neuter services. Now, we do. Contraosta County does have a spay and neuter for community cats. I'm no longer allowed to bring Antioch cats there. They're holding you hostage. I get it. I've played this game before. But I would encourage you to go to county. Number one, the contracted cities pay 11 n I think 91 cents per capita. You have a population of about 120,000 times that times 13, you'd be at probably 1.5 million if that. And I'm sure the county would probably give you a break because they'd use your facility. They have programs. Your service doesn't. George Harding did help us, but he was a manager. He had access to write grants. That has no longer happened. I can't bring a cat into your shelter. I can't get a spay and neuter through any of your programs. And the dogs. So, this is why you have the overpopulation. It's not just Antioch. It's policies that were adopted, presented to municipal shelters to save the money, and they went for it. What I would encourage you to do is to put together a citizen group, maybe through

your police oversight committee, to look at this situation because you're not going to get out of it. Your police department brought you to your knees. We've all watched it and the animals in this community have suffered. I don't know how many unfilled positions are in that budget. I think it's at 2.75 or 2.3. Okay. really you could provide spay and neuters, but if all those unfilled positions are being that money is going into your Antioch Police Department, they're never going to get it. So, I would encourage you get the rescues and citizens together to work out a program with county. Thank you, Mr. Becker. So, I just want to first say that when we first started as a community talking about these budget sessions, um I was incredibly hopeful um for the process because I felt that was going to be a true community engagement process. And as I listen to all these comments, I wonder how do I squeeze all of my thoughts into three minutes once again? And we all know I can be long- winded, but for the individuals that show up and that want to be a part of a process, we continue to adhere to these government processes that allow us to come and speak to you for 3 minutes and then you move through your standard process. And then you continue to say, but we want this to be a community-engaged process. We were told we were going to be out in the community. There were going to be different venues. There was going to be

conversations had. And here I am at a special city council meeting in the same traditional format. So that's the first minute of my 3 minutes. And into the next couple of minutes, you know, when I read the proposals and I hear things like this water park has drawn a deficit always and has put us in a financial position of 40 million plus in the hole. We today can't even sit here and say how much that water park has cost us. We asked I asked for where redevelopment agency dollars went where all this debt service that we are paying today that is a part of this this budget deficit that we have. Where did those dollars come from? We were told we were going to hear about that. None of that came back and instead we hear, "Well, we don't know how much in total the water park has cost us, but we do know that you have to keep it open because it'll cost you more money to close it down." That leaves me as a community member with zero hope. And to be honest with you, it makes me feel like I'm backed up against a wall. I'm literally told that I don't have a positive solution for you, but I need you to keep paying. that m does not make me feel comforted in how you were stewarding these dollars, these public dollars. And I will also say that you look at the capital improvement projects and you literally have this proposed park down here on Second Street that is literally in a zone that doesn't allow a park. So would need a general plan amendment to create that park shows as an unfunded project. But where is Cosmont Realy in

any of this conversation about how we capitalize on our surplus lands, bring in short-term dollars, and create economic growth through them like they've done in all the other cities. Instead, it shows up as an unfunded project. And that's my three minutes. We have no further public comments. All right. Thank you. Um, with that, I'm going to turn this back over to our finance director to walk us through the um the different budget um other other fund budgets and then we can uh provide questions for you along the way and then we can circle back to the front part of the um

Okay. So, you want to go through attachment E? Yes, please. Did you want I I wanted to I wanted to continue on with the rest of the um the items here as far as the the the funding to get more background on this and then circle back to the front of the budget and the front of the staff report and discuss those items. So you're talking about the other fund budget worksheets on attachment E. That's what you is that what you're where are you? I'm on attachment E. I believe you already went through the the other the other parts of the staff report. Correct.

I did. I didn't know if you wanted to go through the proposals, but you you want to go through the other funds first and then go back to the general fund. Uh yeah, I I would like unless council wants to wants to circle back and do the general fund first, but I would like to I'd like to hear in totality. So because I think it all it all interacts with each other. yourself. I I guess Mr. Mayor, I guess I was prepared to start with the the the opening staff report and go through ABCDE, you know, I that would be my recommendation. Would like to do that? Okay. Okay. We'll go ahead and do that. So,

yes. Yes. So, uh, Miss M, just out of curiosity, on page two of the opening staff report, uh, you indicated that we have to be, um, finished with ARPA monies, uh, by December 31st, 2026. Correct. That is correct. But if it looked like there might be like 400,000, I can't remember the figure off the top of my head. But um if we are in a contract to expend money but not have actually spent it, are we safe?

It still has to be spent by December 31st. So the initial um ARPA guidelines was that it had to be obligated or in contract by December 31st, 2024. So that's when it had to be obligated and in contract and then you have until December 31st, 2026 to actually spend it. Now, if an invoice comes in in January, for example, but it's for December work, that is acceptable because it's for the December work and it's just that we're paying it. But so, for all intents and purpose, we actually have to spend all Yes. The services need to be complete by December 31st. Okay. Can I follow up on that? So, so related to that specific item where it's $1.139 million left to spend, do we still have a couple invoices that haven't been paid yet for prior months?

Uh, that I do not know. I would. And the reason I'm asking is because my understanding is the total contract's about $980,000 a year and this is about um this is going to be um or about 80 about 80,000 a month. I mean I can tell you definitely like March isn't in there because March we wouldn't get until you know probably later part of April. But um in terms of what month that one is particularly through I do not know right at this moment. Okay. So, but if there is money left at the end of the end of the the fiscal year what how or the end of the calendar if we do end up having money left over we will have to return it to the department of the treasury. Okay.

So again on page two under the budget deficit reduction proposals and so in this um you have these option reflects combination direct expenditures reduction so on and so forth. And so we're using $5 million um from the I can't think of the name of the the fund from the budget stabilization fund. Yes, budget stabilization fund. But the question I have is on June 30th of 2026, what would be our reserve or carryover? Is it zero? What do you mean what would be the reserve or carryover?

Not the budget stabilization fund, but an actual carryover amount. money unexpended carryover from one fiscal year to the next fiscal year.

So um on page um six of the staff report there's a general fund budget summary and you can see of the current draft budget in that first column. The fund balance in the general fund is projected to be 35.6 6 million that will carry over in our reserves into the next um that's what's projected to be at the end of uh 2026 27. We're projecting that 2526, you can see the beginning balance even though I don't have those numbers here because we're trying to focus on 2627 is projected to end at 43.866 million. So in fiscal year 2627 specifically the 35,142,000 is that unencumbered money?

That is correct. And then what would the do you know what the budget stabilization balance would be? Um let me look. I know I'd reported that at a prior city council meeting. So let me um just find that here. Okay. At June 30th, 2026, the budget stabilization fund is projected to have $36,249,323. Okay. So, with regards to the proposals in 2627, you're recommending $5 million out of the budget stabilization fund be transferred.

Yes. And that was um something when we did the budget sessions last year although we didn't adopt you know 26 27 conceptually that's what council agreed for the two years to do the 5 million and that is incorporated into the draft budget um proposals that we brought on March 10th when we first uh presented the budget that the 5 million would be utilized again as it is in fiscal year 2526. Okay. So on the second line under the budget stabilization transfer the next line. Yes. Surplus slash in parenthesis deficit. Correct. And in FY2627 you're showing a $2.884 million deficit.

In actuality the deficit is 7,884 because it's being reduced by the $5 million transfer in from the budget stabilization fund. So the real the real deficit is over 12 million. Well, if we didn't if we Yes. In the current year without these proposals, it's 13,244,800. That is the budget deficit that we're dealing with. And so, one way of handling it is to take $5 million out the uh the budget uh stabilization train uh fund, right? And that's what brings down the remaining deficit to the $8,244,88.

But then again, I'm this is what so under that next line in parentheses deficit the 2.884 million. Yes, that's what remains after um using five million budget stabilization and then if council um utilizes the budget reduction proposals um that are outlined. You say that's what remains. I I'm not I'm not getting it.

So the first column there's 13,244,88 in deficit. We're reducing that by 5 million so that 8.2 million remains in the deficit. Then the budget reduction proposals on chart A total 5.36 million. So you reduce that 8.24 by 5.3 and you get remaining 2.884.

Okay. So that the okay so so okay I mean I guess for our edification you know for FY 2627 our deficit is uh 13.244 244 million and that does not include any uh possible um uh what do you call it? Um decisions with regards to our employee contracts. Correct.

That is correct. Okay. So, going back on page two, I I do want to address something that I guess kind of concerns me and it's on page two and it's, you know, staff believes that policy direction regarding these matters should appro appropriately rest with the city of council and I theoretically I don't disagree. I think the ultimate decisions obviously rest with the city council.

But the the the struggle that I have is that the city council is not an expert with regard to day-to-day activities or functions within the city. And so to me it is somebody used the word several speakers today used the word collaborative. It really is a collaborative effort to look at a budget. council does have the responsibility for designing policy and city manager and staff implement the policy and so I think there's sometimes an expectation we'll give you the facts we'll give you numbers but you know we don't truly understand the impacts that it has on staff or programs or community and that's where I think part of the dialogue is missing because

we can look at some of these items and recommendations and philosophically make a determination, but in reality, we don't really understand the impact. And so, it's critical that through the city manager or department heads that when the council is discussing something, you need we need to hear from you what the impacts are so that we can weigh them and make, you know, more qualified decisions. So, I understand the statement. I just think it lacks, you know, um the ability for us to have a conversation and to have the city manager and staff really educate us if we did X, how does it impact us? And I think that's critical.

I just wanted to comment on as you were stating when you look at attachment D, um that would be what would that be in terms of pages go? It's a it's a separate document. It's after the contracts and after the um vehicle purchase spreadsheet. So it's it's attachment D fiscal year 27 proposed budget adjustments included in a draft. To me, this is the type of useful information that I think you're referencing because because it because it explains like in the first thing it's a it's it's it says unfreeze administrative analyst. It gives a a rationale and impact for the 21,000 that we would um incur. And then the next line it says free senior civil civil engineer gives a narrative of what the impact is and why it's being referenced at a um of a reduction of 47,000.

I think that's what I hear you saying. So, and so when I look at um the list of unfilled positions, which I know we'll end up get to in a little bit here, um there are some positions that have been posted. There's some that have been interviewed for, there's some where offers have been extended, and then there are others that haven't even been um approved to go forward. So, for me, I can look at the dollar amount and I can assume like, well, this will save us this, this will save us that, but I really don't know the impact. Mhm.

Um, and I think that's the information that we really need. Otherwise, we're just looking at dollars and cents and not really knowing the impact of operations. And I know that we probably want all positions filled. I mean, ultimately that's what everybody would like to see. Um but I think um where I'm coming from is last year we made it very clear when we looked at the deficit that we were faced with that we didn't want to have layoffs of our employees. We we didn't have want to have reduced work days with worked weeks. Um and so we committed to reducing the budget and keeping our staff employed to the best of our ability. this year moving forward year two we're looking to continue to work that deficit down which I think was at one time 54 million in year one and so I think we've done a lot of heavy lifting from year one to year two and I think um one of the things moving forward is we have employees that we need to take care of clearly that is through the negotiation process and we can't get there without some collaboration on where we can move forward with which positions and which positions we can live without

in order to get where we want to go because we have a number of items here that we're going to look at to kind of par down that deficit that we're just talking about and I think um director um Merchant has done a wonderful job of providing opportunities and she has she's put everything on the on the table. I mean there's nothing on here that is not being considered right and that's the way it should be. That's the way it was in year one as well. We looked at everything. Um, but I do think the collaboration piece that we really need is for our directors and each of the departments to to somehow communicate in a very similar fashion as this document attachment D does. What's the impact so that if we do make these types of cuts, we need to know how that's going to impact the organization, the operations. Um, so anyway, that's just I just wanted to chime in and that's kind of where I saw the connection between you what you were saying and when I see um attachment D, how it lays it out to us and it's very helpful. And I think just one more comment on um is it attachment attachment A did you say or yeah attachment A where it's talking about the different positions and it breaks it into general fund and non-general fund which is really helpful because really what we're talking about here tonight is a general fund positions not necessarily the the non-general fund but if I if I look at attachment A where it says total general fund vacancies then I go down to the next section where it has animal services has animal services manager service, animal services tech, and then a couple of animal control officers. And then below that is recreation services, recreation program coordinator, and recreation supervisor. Are those not um also general fund funded, those five positions or six positions.

The those funds do get um subsidies from the general fund. So, um, you depending on how you want to look at it, you either say part of the staffing gets subsidized by the general fund or it's part of the programs, part of the overall budget. So, yes. So, if the general fund pays for it, I would and subsidizes it or pays for it directly. However, I would move that up into the upper level just so that it's clear that we're not looking at something that's funded by something other than the general fund. So would it be would it be fair to say that those six positions that I just mentioned are almost all funded by the general fund 90 plus% funded by the general fund.

Yes. Due to the amount of the subsidy to both recreation and animal services um you know these being um frozen for example like we have on chart A does have a direct impact to the subsidy provided. Okay. So that that's good to know for clarification. what you're talking down to where recreation services are. Yeah. So, and so where it has animal services. Yeah. And then it has recreation services. Those five different job or um positions. So, above above public works. Above public works, correct? Not including finance. Um are general fund funded. Okay.

Because when I when I looked I'm sorry. When I looked at what you're talking about, I didn't look at the bottom half because I didn't think that was general fund. Mhm.

So I looked at the top half and with exception to the um deputy city attorney, assistant city manager and grant writer, the first two entries at the top. I didn't count that into looking at the vacant positions that haven't been posted or haven't been recruited or even agreed to be. And it and and from those numbers, it comes to about 1 million of positions that haven't been filled. And that's excluding the top two, city manager's office and the city attorney's office. Of course, if you were to add that in, then that brings it up another close to 700,000. But for me, just looking at the the vacant positions that haven't been posted or recruited for, we're looking at a bill about a million dollars right there at the top half of the sheet without even going through. So, those those are things that we need to have discussions about about these positions that haven't been posted. Um, I mean the first one that I see just to bring it up, for example, public records coordinator. That's one of the two that and what it reads next to is pending direction from CM. So those types are the ones that I highlighted, but I would not know

um what the city manager's thoughts are, what the director's thoughts are on that particular position and how it would impact operations of procedures. So anyway, that's what I was just trying to reference. So Mr. Mayor, I I do have a procedural question. We're still we're still on the um the staff report specifically chart a deficit reduction proposals. So do you want us to review this because then as the mayor indicated then we get to attachment B. So do you want to go through both of those or

it is up to council discretion how you want to go through it. Well, I guess so. So, it appears that you're looking, for example, on this chart A, you're looking for us to give yes and no. So, you can check the boxes. Correct. Yes. And, and my thought is that or if you want to hold off and you want further information, there's the right or further information. So, uh, so kind of what we're doing working because I think we come I don't know. I I think we can come back. Well, we could you want to come back and not just Well, that I mean because I because I think that these these decisions need to be made in the context of a larger discussion before we just start checking stuff off and then that's my

but I would want to come back because as an example we have freeze the animal services manager position. I'm completely opposed to that. I think it's long long overdue that we have a permanently placed manager and I mean I come from HR from Contraosta County you know we only let you know acting positions last between six months to a year. I believe this position has been vacant for a very long time. I don't think it's good for the organization. I don't think it's good for the employee. But that would be one example. But M I'm more than happy to to hold off and come back to it. That's fine. But I would like to come back to it. Yeah, absolutely.

Well, one one thing I'd like to bring up as I'm looking at it um the animal services I agree with you completely. Um but I do think in in in Merchant and Director Merchant's um uh presentation here, there is a discussion that needs to happen with the county. Um I mean, we really need to look and see what the county can do to partner with us on animal services because I believe over the past year and a half, the city manager has been in conversation with the county surrounding animal services. So if we want to know Yeah. Yeah. we can ask the city manager.

I just saw because I saw that was written in there and I think that I mean we as as residents of city of Antioch looked at the language which was passed by the voters years ago that we continue to support. Um and then there's the county. Our tax dollars go to the county as well. So, I'm not sure how we can have that dialogue about maybe getting some better support from the county for what we're doing here locally.

And and I appreciate the conversation um uh started off by the mayor pro Tim regarding um more information, background information. One of the things that's difficult with regards to positions is that there are personnel issues that can't be discussed out loud. there are negotiations that are being uh discussed with county partners um including with animal services that we're not at liberty to discuss until a certain point. Um and so it's it's unfortunate that you know we have sort of a cone of silence for some of the things that we know are being resolved in the background um before we bring it to council um usually in close session first to get the council's directive. Uh for instance, Chief Addington's team is in talks with the county um you know for the last seven eight nine months. We're not at liberty to talk about the um details yet. Um but you would hear it first and not in the public forum um based on legalities and um the fact that we have an ordinance. Um the city attorney under the past interim director vetted the fact that the county is able to take over our animal services u legally under even our ordinance. There are lots of things that we just can't talk about in this forum. So, it's hard to crosswalk the information that you need and want with the um inability to talk about personnel matters and contract negotiations. So, we're not being remiss in bringing things. There's things that we just cannot publish. Um and so, I will work with um our uh HR director as well as uh the city attorney to talk about what we can bring.

I I would I I appreciate the comments. I would just say that when we get to that item and you know, unbeknownst to us, we may be, you know, stepping on a question, just just tell us. Yes. You know, as not only us, but to the community as well, so that everybody says, "Oh, well, you know, something's happening. Don't know what it is." And don't feel bad. We're in the same boat with you. Um, but we will learn something later. The other question I had when you go down to the third one is a home key um the article that just came out um regarding the hotel. Yes. Apparently defaulting on loans up to 17 million I think is the number. Yes.

I wanted to know what how does that impact the home key application?

Sure. And that also um in terms of issues that materially affect uh finances of organizations which the city enters into, we have exposure meaning that we have to talk to HCD as well as all of the attorneys. There are a lot of implications that we can't just say here's the impact of having this. Also, some of the social programs have outsized impacts that can't be just put in a staff report. Um and so that is a big issue um that we will you know as the mayor pro Tim suggested uh talk about item by item in terms of what we can and cannot say and then I think that's why I asked you know the director please put in a column for follow-up as we assume that this will need more followup. The issue is that we are not going to do the the extreme leg work without you telling us what you want followup for. So this is just your first glance. We'll have more special meetings. Um, and in uh I was going to call you may promip the council member Roche. I can't you just you know once you need to go back you know it's like once a chief always a chief

make a two-year appointment. It's one of those things. Um and so the information that you pointed out in the attachment D was from a previous conversation where you told us to come back with that information. So, so we will do the same with this um and we're happy to give you um information um if you request more to the point that we can share. So, Miss Merchant, correct me if I'm wrong. The mayor wants to go to the various attachments. So, we'll come back to three, four, and five because those are actual proposals that you need direction. Is that Yes. correct? Correct. And so, back up on page uh two, I had another question related to ARPA funding. Yes.

So, oh, do you have a question? Go ahead. I'm sorry. Trying to figure out where Okay. I We were at too. We're kind of bouncing around. So, I think Yeah. Um, so on on the ARPA question related to the interest being transferred over to the CIP fund. Yes. That then will pay for the Second Street building um improvements. So what happens if the improvements cost less than the money that's being transferred over?

If the money costs less than um we will definitely report out to council that x amount of money has been left over and then at that point council can decide you know pay for some municipal services in the general fund apply it to another project. So we will you know definitely report out if it if it comes in less

and along with uh the director the reason why we instituted more quarterly monthly budget reporting is that you have real-time um options to divert or go a different direction with um over overages. I don't think that building is going to cost a dime less. It's probably going to cost more because of inflation but if it does we'll bring it back. And then um the Angelinto crisis response u invoices lag. So, um, to your point, Mayor, this is not a true balance. Um, it will be reconciled out and director Cabraw forecasted, uh, ARPA funds all the way through the end of December um, based on the average amount of the invoices. So, we're pretty sure that will be spent as well.

Okay. The reason the reason I was asking is if there was the chance you could have to go back to the state if it's not expended. No, the interest earnings is not restricted is not required to go back to the Department of Treasury. That's why you have um discretion on whatever you want to spend it on. That's all that's all I want to know on that. Yeah. Thank you, Council Member Wilson. Um I just have a general question in regards to the freezes. I don't know if I'm everybody.

No, that's uh so and I'm in agreement that I need I need to understand more of the impact, but something that keeps coming back that I hear, you know, Mayor Pro Tim Freighus talking about. I mean, we're really kind of thinking about long term and then we have these freezes. I feel like That's kind of a one-time thing, not the long like what is the long-term impacts by doing these freezes is actually really my the question I'm trying to drill down with because I see oh unfreeze freeze which I I understand why you're asking for it, but I want to know how is it going to help us. Yeah, I I think it's just a band-aid. Um so any sort of you're already at operational strain. So these freezes are just and I think that's what I was getting. I was just band-aid solution.

Yeah. Red half of baseline staffing for a city this size. So any freeze is just furthering the impact of the operational strain and limited bandwidth of the staff. So it depends um you know I was going to call you may prom again but council member Roachcha um in terms of you're still mayor pro

you're mayor come on I got mayor prom and so um we can bring it back. I think one of the one of the maybe I've been glib in thinking that it's obvious what this what the impacts are because we're already at baseline. Um so the impacts are you're having a really challenging um environment to deliver musical services. That's just a global um so if you want us to be more specific I'm happy to tell you within each department um but generally speaking you're already at operational strain. So

yes and if I can just further um add on is last year when these freezes were brought forward you know we did discuss the impacts and it was more of the fact of these are already vacant not that we wouldn't love to have them filled but rather than take away from an existing service um further reduction there is a service reduction by not having the you know another employee to to provide the service but it was this is already vacant we can capture this as a temporary ary basis as the city manager said a band-aid um just in the interim so that we can save money um you know and of course we put the impact about the bandwidth but all come together and you know fill in for that without having to say um reduce landscaping for example or even you know we don't want to do layoffs so let's freeze what's not filled

and I and I I I get that sometimes we need these short-term solutions to get us through. But I think I think I think now we need to be at the point of okay, at one point do we stop doing the bandaid solutions and then transition into the long-term solutions. I think that's what you've been you've been getting at the mayor prom. Yeah, I got it right. Mayor Prom has been and I think that's that's I think that's what keeps bubbling up for me because I see freeze unfreeze and I feel like I think this is just a temporary but when do we get from doing the temporary to the longterm things? Yeah. And unfortunately with our our financial situation until there's strategic annual right

reductions to the over 10 plus million deficit, I think we're going to have a lot of these one-time short-term temporary band-aids to cover until something significant happens with our revenues or some other um sort of funding coming in. Yeah, I think um you know I just want to reiterate what the finance director is saying um in terms of the structural deficit is just that so long range planning um and policy priorities need to be set by the council um and revenue generation needs to be our top priority in terms of economic and community development. Um, so there are the other um, you know, conversation that I've had several times with the mayor is what outsized impact do we get for one-time investments that have a long-term um, impact. So, for instance, we have had this conversation many times about the purchasing department. Um, there are lots of people in director Bunting's um, department that's doing purchasing. So maybe they would be freed up to do more of the job that would generate funding um in other ways if we had a dedicated um you know purchasing officer. Um so there's a lot of things that could happen. You know maybe it's spending 2 million to get the water park actually fixed for once and then you know um having it fully functional so then people can actually use it. So what policy decisions and investments do you want to make um from budget stabilization or reserves to then do long range planning for um income and revenue generation

um were you complete just I'm just making sure I I had to drive back from West County that freeway is brutal. Um, I guess what I I I know city manager Scott, you provided last year a 10-year look back at overtime across all departments. Yes. Do you have a a like a current like year-to-ate overtime estimate based on positions that have been frozen or unfilled? Um, are you saying in terms of positions for each by department? Yes.

Um, yes. They have stayed static for so long. Um, so yes, we can give you that. I think the reason why it's important to look at the overtime is because what's what I'm what's happening is I'm not saying every position is going to be filled. You can freeze them. You could eliminate them. I think whatever the majority of the council want to do and I'm also just I saw the tenure look back at overtime and so you're actually spending a lot in overtime when you don't have Mhm. the positions and I'm I'm really concerned about freezing too cold um enforcement officer positions given all the illegal dumping

trash the issues that we've been discussing with um commercial vacant properties um encampments just it's so much that code enforcement like have a hands in I know that we had to like we brought in two people specifically just for the downtown under the last council and so if we freeze code enforcement positions I guess my question is like what is the impact do we even like how many like is there an impact at all it may or may not be um and and is are we freezing them because they're not currently filled and they and there's no expectation that they will be filled like in the next 6 to 12 months?

Yeah, that's a good question. Um code enforcement is actually unique in that um there were six or seven officers and they got moved to 14. When I first came on, they had those positions had never been filled. So, you have more code enforcement officers than you've ever had. Um this is Chief Addington's area, so I'll have him come down. But um in terms of your question, the two officers weren't actually ever filled. Um so I believe that our deputy director um who has taken over the management of the republic franchise has also you know started a blight task force and there's other you know I think to the conversation of bringing back more information in terms of the impact this is I can see what you're saying because there are sort of adjacent um efforts being held by several areas um but you didn't have those code enforcement officers present anyway ever Right. Because I know the former council voted to expand code enforcement. And I guess what I'm saying is we see the impact of not having those two positions filled to get to scale and code enforcement because there's still a lot of illegal dumping blighted properties, blighted properties that we don't have a capacity to do credible enforcement on which is also hindering econ like exacerbating the economic development challenges in this city. So, I mean, I don't know which direction people are going to choose to go, but I just wanted to say that like

overtime. I would like to know how much is being spent on overtime, especially in departments that are already understaffed and at baseline with their budgets as well as what is the impact of not having fully staffed code enforcement in a city with commercial blight, illegal dumping

and and code enforcement. So this is, you know, those outside um impacts. Code enforcement can only get you so far. So for instance, your deputy city attorney isn't hired. There's your enforcement mechanism. Code enforcement officers can't go to court. So there's more to it than just having the body filled. Um and and and there's there's a area that APD has um in this there's an area that community development has buildings inspection. It is not just you're not going to see your way out of it with two more code enforcement officers. Okay. Um and so I understand what you're saying. I think what I want to um emphasize is what has happened in the improvement of the additional five that you've had in the last 18 months. Um, and so let you know, let's talk about that in terms of what does an analysis look like? And then if you really want it, do you want to get a deputy city attorney instead of hire those two so that you can actually do enforcement on um on owners or do a vacancy tax rate or there's other So, so what is the the the formula um to get us further? It might not be the code enforcement officers. Well, because I know somebody reached out and was like, you know, why don't we think outside the box and come up with solutions instead of just slash and burn. Mhm.

And I'm like, well, it would be nice to have a conversation about the like we know what we're going to save if we just cut everything, but like what would we save if we had actual credible solutions that could be implemented over time that's longstanding, not band-aids, and will save in the future and support um economic de economic development in the city. And then city manager Scott, your your explanation then is exactly I think what we're talking about where you cover the city attorney's office, the police department, community development building. That's kind of what we need to understand what the because maybe a deputy city attorney is better than two officers and a manager.

And that would be the type of thing we would want to have your recommendation on that that how we would structure um the best model to get get to those types of results. So Mr. I mean, that was really the gist of my earlier discussion. It's like we can see numbers and figures and we're just trying to cut them down, but we don't understand the impact. And that's the role basically you and the department heads have to play. Is to say, okay, would it be better to hire a deputy city attorney to do enforcement? We wouldn't know that.

All we see is our task is to cut. Now, let me also say one thing as I went through this. I mean, we never gave ourselves a pat on the back, but in the past 18 months, when you start with the 54 million deficit, which represented about 50% of one year of our operations, and we're now down at a little over 13 million, that is an extraordinary achievement. But we have a lot more to go. And so that's that's something that you know keeps on nagging me. I you know I don't think our role is just to cut cut. I think that we also need to promote you know I've I have embraced a purchasing department with two individuals. I've embraced a grant writer because I know they can produce revenue to the city. But I I after going through all this and hours and hours of doing that, you know, the walkway for me is this. Cities receive two primary sources or well three primary sources of revenue. Property taxes, which we really have very little to do with regards or influence property taxes per se. Yes, beautifying the city, getting rid of trash, getting, you know, things cleaned up, that does impact property values, but all intents and purpose, we don't have a lot to to advance at 10, 20, 34%. So, we get the one place that we do have is economic development. And you earlier made a comment and I just it's it was kind of a throwaway comment but I think it's probably the most critical thing for us to probably talk about and embrace and that is economic development. Let's face it we have not had economic development in this community for at least five six years. Not really. And we do have vacant property that can be used and we do have legal means to clean up property and and

on and on and on. From my perspective, the only way we're going to get out of this long term is truly focus on economic development. That means an economic development director who or staff who is just focused on, you know, changing what we have. We pretty well, you know, we've kind of become numb. We just accept that all our commercial centers are closed. Oh, gee, that's too bad. Oh, where do you want to go to to dinner? Well, let's go outside of Antioch. You know, um Shamau is trying to make the downtown, you know, more of a social, you know, restaurants and entertainment center district or whatever you want to call it. Okay. But really, we have been so lacking in a cohesive, aggressive, experienced economic development in this city for years. And that is the one place that if we were successful, we on a long-term basis would be eliminating most of these problems.

Yes. And nothing I do is throw away, by the way. Pardon? Nothing I do is throw away, but um yes, Mayor Prom. Um I I double down on what you said. Um I also think that a lot of people don't see what happens in between these meetings. Um and and one thing is true. I think we have been together on every effort to bring in economic development staff to this city for the last seven or eight months, have we not? Yes.

So, um, you know, I think that we have to talk about what the, you know, impact is of having a structural deficit on even attracting viable candidates. Um, and so, you know, if our last two turn down the positions, that took a considerable lift from our HR department. Um, so it isn't for lack of trying. Um, yeah. And I'm not saying that you are. I'm just I want the public to know that we have, you know, I have you have your own office practically here. You're an employee. And so it isn't like we haven't been trying to, you know, hire and we will, right? It's not insurmountable. It's just going to take some time. Okay. So, Mr. Mayor, are we going to start attacking attachment aart?

Chart A. It's attachment. Is this attachment A? Right. Yeah. Chart A. Yeah. If we if we if we think we're ready. She wanted to go back to that. You told me to go back to that. That's a part of the the report attachment. No, no, no. Got it. Got it. Attachment A.

Okay. Got it. Yeah, we can we can uh we can go to attachment A. I guess I guess before we do I I want to just say something as I've been trying to figure out you know how we kind of so the city manager and I have um talked about c what what are the core businesses or the core functions the city has to do right finance law um you know our our basic functions are administration legal and so we we have we have our baseline of things that we we have to do we have that's not optional And then council has identified um through different study sessions what are our priorities um within that and so we've identified things like um the um staff police department code enforcement youth services uh economic development uh you know um things like that. So I I think what if if we if we can structure this so we can start we can start with a foundation of these are the this is what the budget has to have in it. These are non-negotiables. We can't take this out of the budget and then we layer onto it our priorities of whatever those are as a council. then we can get to a point where we get up to and then exceed our our revenues that are available and we'll be able to see kind of where we are because if we if we start kind of picking and choosing along the way I think it'll be in my opinion it'll be harder for us to come up with a a cohesive plan at the end of it that that people can understand and follow. So, that would just be a recommendation of a way to structure it so that we can get to the end of this process um with with some understanding of what's what's foundational, what's our priorities as this city council, and then what are things we can continue to do up to the point where we can't afford it anymore.

Does that does that make sense? It it does make sense. I mean, I also want to point out housing and homelessness was one of the priorities and the fact that we're spending millions a year just moving people from corner to corner if we don't have a real solution. So, I'm wondering like I think it would be helpful just to see like if if we did nothing else, right? I guess I'm assuming what you're saying is like if we did nothing else for our residents except pay staff to have the basic municipal services, what would that look like? Right. What does that cost?

And then what does that cost? And then to address the other needs, uh the other needs of the community, whether it's youth and young adults, homelessness, mental health, animal services, anything that's extra. Correct. Then what does that look like? layer over basically the council priorities and say, "Well, this is where we need to get to

and then we can make a make a pretty much make a decision." is like and my concern is like and of course it's up to this council is like if the choice was like okay well we just going to go baseline just the simple municipal services that could also still end up costing because we aren't addressing homelessness, illegal dumping and all of these other things. And when young people don't have anywhere to go or any investment in them, then that also might increase your issues and challenges related to public safety. So I think we go back to also like how can we have a credible conversation between us all but also the community about what mayor pro Tim wrote raised up was the impact

of of the decisions we make up here impact us individually as residents but also um the public. So I I definitely I mean I I agree with that. I mean, I was a little concerned about tonight because I'm like, well, geez, we don't even really know what it's gonna mean um to the community. Correct. And I think that's that's Yeah, that's part of

part of the part of the challenge. And then and then along with just the baseline service, at what level do we want to deliver that? At a C level, a B level, an A level? Because so then you figure we're going to do a B- level baseline service and it's $85 million. Okay. So that that that's that's a given. We we stop there these departments this is what we're going to be done and then we and then we layer on from that along with addressing for example if we fund homelessness does that mean we put more rocks around Antioch and and you know what I mean? I mean seriously you know

I hope not that's a short but I'm saying that's you know we're spending a lot of money doing that. So what are our options as opposed to doing that? So I think that'll allow us to have a discussion on these individual areas that are important to all of us and then how do we come up with

just to add to that I think um when we if you do with the basic necessities of what we need to run as a city. Um and then we look at services like unhoused or youth and recreation. Looking at uh those services that are be outside of the basic operations for the city. Then we have to look at effectiveness you know of the programs that have been funded. Have they been effective? What's you know have they have they met the the mark of what they were intended to do or not? Because I think sometimes we move programs along even though they may not have met the mark. And I think that's piece that we're really going to have to look at.

And I mean, just what was it last week? We had a presentation on homelessness. I mean, obviously we doing something right. The numbers are being reduced and it's based on what what we've been doing, right? But then we also know because I've been saying this forever and and mayor, you know, even when you were city manager, like a lot of this stuff we can't sustain through the general fund. So, we need to bring in outside dollars to support which is why I advocated for grant writer and thank you Mayor Pro Tim for continuing to push that because we we know it's not sustainable. we need to bring in outside dollars and we have been doing that which also gets me to the point of some of the comments from earlier is um can we do more collaboration with with the community to figure some of these things out in a deeper way than just three minutes in a city council meeting because I'm looking at you know and I'm just going to point it out because I know people you know aren't here but people have called me about Junth Well, in order to pull off Junth through the city, it's a little over 54 $54,000. Could we raise that? Right. I mean, it it can be raised. I I've just myself alone have have raised over $60,000 to bring into this city to do stuff for the community. So, if we actually collaborated with the community, it might be a potential that we could raise some of these dollars, but we we don't know what it would look like because we haven't had the type of collaborative conversations that I think the community um been looking for. So I think we should

talk to more people about how we help us help you help you help us all you know all at once. So Mr. Mayor I I'm enjoying the dialogue and discussion. Um but let me say you know when you begin to layer and say okay these are basic you know one of the most basic is legally required legally mandated that let's face it we have to be in compliance but there are also quality of life issues I can't imagine the city of Antioch not having park and recreation

now to some people it's a superolous surface especially a lot of elderly people say well I don't have kids anymore. So why do we need all these darn parks? I mean, you get into those kind of discussions. So it's I understand I but I would say there's a cautionary note there in layering because there are quality of life issues that frankly, you know, if you you took a dollar and cents approach, they probably don't always work. Now I ran the county county service areas. Part of them were recreation. I do not know one pool in all of Contraostasa County from Danville, San Raone, doesn't matter where you Wallen Creek, no pool makes a profit.

That's a reality. And I keep on hearing speaker after speaker after speaker condemning the parks because there's not a profit. That's in my opinion a very wrong approach because it is a quality of life issue. Who uses these parks? All of our community, particularly those who are low income that don't have access to driving down to Disneyland and going to Disneyland, Notberry Farm and places like that. It is their family recreation. So, there are a lot of questions that come in and they can't always be, you know, determined by dollars and cents. I think you need to be very careful of that. The second item is you also need to be very careful when you begin to raise money in the community because there can be conflicts of interest. Sure, I'll I'll I'll say I mean, I'll I'll give you $100,000, you know, sure, no problem. And then six months later, you realize there's a price to be paid for that 100,000. I mean, we we we see it on a national level. you know, uh, $400 million for the new part of the the White House and who's contributing not one penny supposedly of taxpayers dollars all contributed by businesses. And so I'm just raising you have to have, you know, um, guidelines on how that would be handled. So, so I I I understand, Mr. Mayor. I think it's good. I mean, if we're ready to go on on attachment A, I do have a a question. I mean, yeah.

And Miss Merchant, it's actually kind of it's like city attorney pending direct direction from the new city attorney. So, there's no way for us to really answer that question and it's a it's a big ticket item, but that's also true for assistant city manager. Yeah. And I will just say attachment A wasformational. It wasn't for of course you can weigh in your thoughts on it, but it wasn't for give us your opinion on us's positions, whether she made frozen. We were asked to provide a list of the current vacancies. So that's what's here.

Okay. So I I would because it it is prompt. You know, I I'm still going to argue for a twoperson purchasing department and strip down purchasing from the the departments and have it centralized. I mean, I believe that. I understand it. That is how Antioch operated for decades and decades and it was very very successful, particularly being in compliance with all the rules and regulations of purchasing. But I will argue on the flip side because I was here when it was eliminated and the positions were laid off that there's a mixture of decentralized versus centralized purchasing across agencies. And you know, while maybe it's not ideal, it is working. We are complying and on the finance side, we are um once the purchase orders get created, we're making sure that it follows our purchasing policy. They're getting the quotes. They're getting the bids. And I don't think it's personally that it's going to be a revenue generation by having a purchasing officer versus right now maintaining it decentralized. And in our financial situation, me personally, because this would fall under finance, why should I give up two positions that I think are more important to get two purchasing officers when we have in my opinion a process that is working for us right now? Why would I want to replace my business license representative and my accounting specialist, which is more important for our financial reporting to replace those with purchasing? Um,

I'm not saying you have to give up to. I'm talking about add to. No, I know. But I'm freezing those two positions because of our deficit. I'd rather have those unfrozen and not add two different bodies into my department. So, I'm not convinced, but I think the dialogue is good. But that but that's the feedback we need. Yeah. I mean, this is good and the council's going to make a decision. Yeah. But in terms of the um deputy city attorney just that is a position for under the DOJ agreement and we were just waiting for the new um city attorney to come on board and make that decision. That's why it just says pending direction. So we wanted to allow Mrs. Asunian to get her feet wet and get into the department and then you know proceed with the hiring for that. So that's why that's so her feet are wet. Are we hiring?

There's also a policy director under that agreement that isn't reflected here. So I think you don't have the full picture like you're saying. Um, I do want to go back to the overall directive, uh, baseline budget. You're nine and a half weeks out from your vote. What do you mean when you say you want a community process, a baseline budget with layering? Are you willing to suspend the normal council meetings? Because this would take us all the way till then to even get that. We don't have a fractional auditor um, here in the city. we don't have data analysts um to even understand what we're paying for unhoused services would take you know a month. We talked about this um at the priority setting where in order to do that we would have to hire a consultant to do a homelessness investments analysis for the city. So how would you like us to give you information um for a baseline budget to make policy decisions um with your impending date? So I if I'll weigh in I I I like having a dialogue like we're having right now. Like for example, finance director Merchant explained she froze some physicians which we may have forgotten about and she would prefer to have those back as opposed to adding um the purchasing um folks. So I think having a real-time discussion so it doesn't have to go back to two weeks of everybody scrambling. I to me I think that would be a good way for us to be able to do it especially if we have all the experts in the room.

Sure. So just trying to figure out what you want us like do you want to separate another meeting with all of the directors to talk about this. I'm just trying to because we actually have to present on paper too. So what does it look like to present a baseline budget in your opinion?

Well I mean and and we like I said we've talked about this before. It's what what is legally required for us to deliver our basic services. So there are certain certain things we have to pay our bills. We have to invoice people. We have to have legal. I mean there's certain things that we have to do uh you know with public safety we have we have certain mandates and then from general fundwise and so I think that it's just identifying those which shouldn't be really difficult and then it's it's a matter of what's the level of service that's being provided for those currently. Well, I mean that would definitely be I just don't know if we can try to turn something around in, you know, for the in a couple weeks, but you know, it's just a difficult one because you say like, okay, we don't need code enforcement, so let's pull out $2 million and eliminate code enforcement completely. And then it's like, what do you do with the employee? That that involves labor and much more conversations, right? And then public safety and community resources. Okay, we don't we don't need to provide any of that. Let's get rid of $4 million out of that. Then again, you open into labor and other issues and because those aren't required municipal services. So, I mean, when you get to that, it's going to really kind of look more ugly,

you know, like but we're kind of being asked to make those types of decisions here right now. Correct. where we're incrementally we're asking to shave a little bit off of each not complete let's and those are positions that are already

and I think I think it takes more of a to the city manager's point a little bit longer of an evaluation and thoughtful process you know maybe we kind of do I I don't want to say a bare minimum band-aid to get adopted in 2627 and then in August after July recess we really start have all you know this is going forward what the minimum is and how do we start to build that into either the current year budget or going into 27 28 because then we can really rather than trying to quick and dirty turn around this is what we think is the basic municipal we have the time to sit with the departments and legal

and say this is really because and we have the legal defenses for what minimum we have to provide. I I I feel like we're going to be scrambling and kind of turn around a mess that's maybe not as factual or um accurate as it should be if we try and turn something around the next couple weeks for you to look at that respectfully. So yes,

I'm I'm also grateful for the discussion and now I have major concerns because when the mayor pro Tim and the mayor say down to what's legally required, I didn't for whatever reason my mind didn't register that we will be getting rid of code enforcement like and so I guess it just goes back to this what the mayor pro Tim raised around things that are necessary for quality of life and and so I'm I'm just like it would be nice to understand to have be able to have understood a lot of that before we got to this point where we're being asked to make make a decision And then I also seen that it was like at least for one decision people were like if you're going to get rid of the Fourth of July you got to do it now because we got to be under contracts by June. Like that's hella rushed and like I don't even know if I'm if I even support that choice, right? So I just think and I'm also looking at attachment D and I feel like deja vu because I feel like we made like we've seen this before. We've made some decisions on this before and I feel like did is coming back for more decisions with the same positions

and that was only because those were for the 2526 budget and we did propose it for 2627. However, we just need it officially because I I know um Mayor Protemperus had expressed concerns on some of the items like I'm not so sure if I want to carry those into 2627 the same. So that's why we're asking for consensus again. C can I can I just um the comment I made earlier we since we're going down the list and you said city manager, city clerk, human resources um that's a position that says internal employee acting recruitment on hold for two months.

So I think we need to have information on that. Is that something that we a position we need to fill and if we should when is that going to happen? The next one you look down after that and when you go to public works the first entry says second round interviews to be held week. So that one's already in process. The one right after that says assistant city at engineer recruitment to be reposted in one to two weeks. So I just think the ones that and that one actually posted today. Yeah. And and I just got back in but I would say those notes are internal. So, I'm not sure why you have them, but uh but yes, uh I just think that the positions that haven't been I mean, if we've already made a commitment, we've already hired, we have people in the position, that's one thing.

But if we have positions that are listed here that haven't been posted, haven't been in in some cases even decided on whether it's a need. To me, that's the ones I think where we need to start, right? And I think last time what we did was respond to your requests for essential and not essential, right? So that's why you're coming we're coming back because it was a one-year point in time budget. We haven't done that analysis on the remaining so so this is not we a conversation we should be having about that exhibit but um I so we can move to attachment B. Yeah I think that's what we should do chart B

because I don't think we can do A right with the information that's here. One thing I wanted to bring up too is when I looked at the attachment B contracts, the contracts aren't in the 2027 budget. Right. From what I see here, correct? So when I see contracts that end in 2026, that's not moved forward. That's June 30th. Yes. Okay. Okay. So that's when I saw them in here, I noticed the dates ending. So that's not a part of the 27th budget. No, I think um there is the operational assessment um consultants contract goes until October. um is the only carryover

and any that do say for the contracts regardless of funding um for example the very first one um for the audit contract that ends in June 30 2028 you know the cost is built into the draft fiscal year 27 budget same with any of the the CIP it's built into the draft budget that's being presented we're on attachment B correct yes So you're wanting feedback from us. You asked for a list of the consultant services contract. So it it the up to the pleasure of the council what questions they have or further followup they might want. So it's not for decision. It's just for discussions.

Yes, it is for discussion. Contracts are already entered into or coming to an end. So, um, for example, you you can't say, well, we want to terminate this contract right now when we already have a signed contract to whatever date. So,

but let's just take a look at city managers. There's 1, two, three, four, five, six. Yeah, I think we have, at least I have indicated I believe these contracts need to end on June 30th. The only one that I would hold out is DAS Consulting because of the situation that we have with filling the position the community and economic development. But the other ones, Zelena, WBA, Tracy Miller, Townsen, if you I'm not sure. And 10 jumps I 10 jumps, I'm not sure about that. That's the um technology effect

technology. But from my perspective, the Zalinsky, WBA, Tracy Miller should end uh on June 30th or whatever their contract uh shows as an ending date today. Is that something we want to get council consensus on now at least so we can move forward with that or is that Well, that's the reason why I asked is because it's not it ends in this fiscal year that we're in. I assume they all end it's not being pursued forward, right? No, they end on the contract that's on here. Contracting and dates.

So you have one, two, three, four contracted in No, wait a minute. One, two, three, four. Yep. I think four contracted in your microphone. June 30th. June 30th. I think there are four of the consultant contracts that end in June. Or is it three? I'm losing it. There's three and then one that ends in April. Yes.

I just have a question on these contracts and consultants. I need to know which of these are supplementing vacant positions and which are discret truly discretionary. Um well, none of them are discretionary and none of them are supplementing vacant positions. what is happening is that there is a lack of expertise in these areas that are helping the city to move forward. Um so when you say what are the policy implications and long-term impacts, this is another area um that is being impacted by your decisions.

Well, the fact of the matter is we do need to save money. We do need to address the deficit and this is an option for us. Yeah. So I mean from my perspective we've had several discussions last year and this year um and frankly we're talking about 300 1 million50 about almost one and a half million dollars you know just with several of them not all of them actually closer to two okay two million so from my p unless you come back and say uh I'd like to revisit this and here are some of the implications and let us let's talk about that

it's just like the townsen one you know they do some grant writing for us. But for me, you know, I I would state I think you do need Townsen for advocacy, but I'm not sure you need them for grant writing if we hired our own grant writer permanent position. So, that to me would be one of the things that we I think we should talk about. And their contract doesn't end until 27. Yeah. Yeah. It's the one contract that's 27. Yeah. Okay. I mean, but but but we still need to get the grant writer. Exactly. And maybe I mean the other thing I will Well, never mind. I'll talk I'll just I'll email you sitting there. Do you would you like to you don't you don't want to talk about it here?

Well, I mean I mean because I think the goal is for all of us to be able to

Yeah. I think I I think what Townsen has been doing has been amazing, but I would like to meet with them more. Um because even though like they're bringing in grants, I'm I h like we haven't had a conversation about like these other quality of life things, these other other opportunities because a lot of the grants I'm not seeing. It's just like what kind of conversation can we have with them where there could be like some more direction so they could go out and find money based on council priorities and like addressing some of the the the the deficits and the quality of life issues.

Sure. And Yeah. And we can make definitely have them meet with you. Um they come and meet almost weekly with different ones of us department heads um doing our federal, state, local uh grant funds, earmarks, all that stuff. So they are very attuned to our quality of life issues by the data, by the numbers. Um, and so having a conversation with you to go over what they do and hear what you need from them is not a bad idea. Yes. And I also think it's important that Townsen has a a unified message on what they're working on so they're not running all different directions to um, you know, I I don't know why we couldn't have them come to a council meeting. All five of us have a discussion. I mean, why why not?

Yeah. Yeah. Mr. Mayor, with regards to public works, so we have Walter Bishop Consulting for $100,000 and what what is he supposed to do? Water resources management and planning. Then we have, you know, Bartle Wells to review CCWD water rights. Then we have, you know, there's one or two others dealing with with water rights. I mean, there's there are a lot of water rights. And so do we truly need multiple, you know, consultants? I mean, are there really that difference on some of these items with regards to water rights? And see, just that's this is part of the problem with the information. It says water rights, but when you see multiple consultants, it's like, well, is there duplication of effort? Do we really need, you know, these various individuals, you know, deal dealing with water rights? and and you're talking to a 16-year Contracasta water district director. I understand the importance of water rights, but it's like, are there overlaps or what the heck is happening here? Because there's several of them dealing with water rights. That would be one of the questions I would have.

See, manager Scott, would you like Yes. Sorry, I blanked out from Hunger. The question was just about the wa the wa the water rights and the four or five consultants that are all working on on those tasks. Um Bishop Wood um Woodard and Curran Bartal Wells um Walco you have a group we have a group of folks working on that. Yeah we do. Yes. Did Would you like we can ask director Bunting to come forward and respond to that or you don't need to do it now. Just raise the question. I think I mean I didn't call him up because I'm just raising it. There's a lot of questions that you need. I'm assuming you want the answers at some point. Yeah. I mean, you don't have to do it now. It's catching. I don't think it's really fair, you know, right? Off the cuff remarks. I'm looking for more indepth.

Okay. Oh, I Oh, okay. I wasn't aware we were also talking about I thought we were just talking about consultants funded by the general fund. Well, I think that's what we're focusing on. special. Yeah, those are water fund. Water and we're getting ready to talk about the special special funds. CIP. Oh, unpriced. Some of the funds are in the attachment. The water fund is not included. Okay. Um, we were asked to bring back consultant services contracts. I do realize the general fund is a focus, but we weren't asked to bring back just general fund contracts. So, no, they're all of them. I mean, yeah, it's good.

I mean, they they they can impact water rates, sewer rates, and things of that sort. So, I mean, it doesn't matter if it's general fund or restricted fund. Really? Correct. Well, there is a there is a general fund entry down low or below the engineering services for engineering and land development. I'm reading that correctly. 7 62,000. Is that right? I don't know where you If you go further down, which department on the public works and you if you just look at the funding source and come down, you'll see general fund entries. two of them and one contract ends on June as in one says 112426 the other one is June 30th 2026

yeah one one's inner west it looks like and the other one is oh and they're both and they're both general fund something financial clear source financial and that totals about 775 the two where you at? Yeah. But yeah. Yeah. If you go down where where it says um two funding source, you'll see about twothirds down, you'll see general fund in the column. It's above the contracts that Don was referring to earlier. He's in he's in public works. See where the what organization? Um so so one of them's uh one of them's Inter West. They have a eight $6 million and then the other one is Clear Source Financial. Theirs is like 30,000.

Yeah, I think those are the two he's referring to. that falls under public works engineering

because when I added those all up plus that that was like 2.7 the contracts below and those two that I just referenced. Okay. So we have those two identified I think. Oh yeah. Okay.

I mean, I'm hungry, but yes, we're going to come back with the information. We spend a lot of money. We get it. Um, we will come back um with information for you from the general fund. Um, Inner West obviously does quite a bit of work for us with our um engineers. So, um, we also are hiring an assistant city engineer and all those things. So, there's the tradeoffs coming as well. Um, but yes, we will bring information back to you. And um I believe Inner West is also uh re part of their their cost is reimbursed by developers and CIP projects, things like that. Correct. So that's correct. It'd be good if it was maybe slashed, you know, other sources. So it doesn't look like it's six million coming out of the general fund. So

yes, looks like Air West also gets funded out of traffic signal fund if I'm looking at my Yeah. Yes. Thank you. Okay. anything on the on the back side of attachment B that folks want to

I know could you maybe make the print a little bit bigger I honestly I really tried but because there so much information across it you know shrinks it I was able to you know do my best to get it to the I honestly with my glasses I understand it's and I are going blind. We just couldn't find I have the I have the same problem. I just I was struggling because there's so many rows across. Okay. I've been fighting it off for years, but this one just about did me in. I'm have to go to glasses. Be glad I didn't put on one page. That was even smaller. Okay. All right. So, we're on attachment C now.

Uh attachment B. Yes. That would take us to attachment C. Surprisingly, I have no comments. All right. So, that's the planned vehicle purchases. So I think the question here was whether or not we want to make these purchases this year. These are built already built into the budget in the um vehicle replacement fund. It was just asked if Okay. Just provide any information on what we're Yeah, that's we were just asking by the detail of the anticipated fleet purchases. So, and then we'll get into this later on, but the the environmental resources new to fleet, you know, I had a question about that. So, all right. So, that's it on attachment C. Attachment D. This is the one that council member

council member Sores Walker said we've seen this before. So again, this is just a summary of what the proposal is for us. Yes. And we've added the the yes no um as to whether to this is already included in the draft numbers. It's not like um you know the chart B in the staff report where it has a separate column for the proposals. These were presented in March 10th initially based on feedback from the 2526 budget. We're carrying forward the same motions, but we just want consensus to continue that. And plus um there is the um asking to unfreeze one of the positions due to um staff capacity. So

So it's like freeze and business license representative. My answer is yes. Freeze it. That's how I'm answering. But freeze a county specialist too. I'm saying no, do not freeze that. I mean, that's what I'm saying, right? So, we just need consensus on each of these. You know, the majority um will be what is um in continued to be incorporated in the budget or we'll add it back in. And these are these are your recommendations?

These were recommendations that were Yes. and came out of last year's budget. And so when we did last year's budget and we did the different models, um you know, we had these in there and asked council to go through and decide whether to incorporate them. So these are the same measures. Um the only is that we're asking to unfreeze one of the positions and convert one of the positions. Um so we're asking if council's in agreement and still incorporating these into the fiscal year 27 budget. They're already incorporated into the draft budget. So, if you decide that you do no longer want to um for example, if you say no, we don't want to freeze the accounting specialist too, then I need to add back in 166,000 back into the draft expenditure numbers.

Is is there is there a page before this? This is it. There's page one. There's two pages. I'm missing the first two pages. Page one is on the back of the fleet purchases attachment, right? It's right after the attachment C. Yeah. Page one is unfreeze, you know, administrative analyst. Just turn that page over. Got it. Thank you. We got them all separated. Started. I sorry I took them all apart. Okay. So, um, unfreeze administrative analyst. Does everybody agree with doing that? Yeah, I do. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Unfreeze that.

Um, freeze senior civil engineer 0.25 FTE. Do we want to do we want to freeze that? I'm a yes. Yes. Okay, we're yes on that. Convert and fund public works inspector um versus an assistant city engineer or assistant engineer, excuse me. Um reduce development engineering contract. So that's going to does that add 214 and then take 200 off? Is that enough?

Correct. because the engineering contracts by Interwest, one of the ones that's listed on the consultant list. We have contract engineers. Um and so um we would uh reduce those contracts because we have also inspect they do engineering inspection services. So we reduce the contract and then fund a public works inspector. Okay. Is that a yes? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Uh Freeze Community Engagement Coordinator. Yes. Yes. Yes. By the way, on on this item

Oh, remember to read the note. Oh, it do say touch a mic on. Um, thank you for the reminder note. Okay. Uh, so this was frozen already before. So I'm just wondering is everything is status quo is cool. It could freeze for another year. Yes. Looking at the director, but yes. Yes. Yes. Of course she would want this position. Why wouldn't she? I mean, we all want the positions. We all want our positions. Really? She's reasonable. Okay. So we are we a yes on this? I mean, I just feedback. Yes. But but on this point,

I would like to have an item come back with renaming the public safety and community resources on the next agenda. We've talked about this. We talked about last budget. A year has passed. We need to make a decision one way or the other. We've been working on it. I'm just So, do we do we have consensus? We want to bring that back the next I got the impression there was a name selected. Did I just It's already Yeah, it's already done. It's just It's done. We talked about it in the parking lot. Okay. So, we'll bring it back the next meeting to And how many months ago was that? You have to Can you Moving right along? Just come to your office tomorrow and start working. Okay. Let's go to the policy director. Policy director.

We need to add that for the Allen settlement. Yes, that's a yes. Uh Freeze business license rep. Yes. Yes. Um freeze accounting specialist too. No, I I I think we need to hire. I have a question on that. So the fe the impact is this assist with accounting pay payables and some payroll. Other finance staff will need to assist with workload. Can someone speak to that?

Yes. I mean I ideally yes I would love to have both the positions but with the current excellent finance staff I have who are amazing they have they don't hesitate to at a moment's nois moment's notice drop their anything they're doing teamwork get the work done so at this point I will not say we are not suffering you know so I'm willing for the deficit to freeze this position Yes. Yes. Freeze the business license. What about the accountants?

I would say for for my because I have excellent staff and you know I'm fully staffed in all the other areas. I it's not a long-term solution. Going back to question. Yes. Um add part-time help to city council. No. No. No. at and it says the city manager's office is at limited capacity and not able to support or staff the city council. Correct. We have been but we have no appointments. Well, uh we have a solution for this. Okay. So, yes, it's a no. Okay. Utilize 5 million in budget stabilization funds. Do we want to make that decision tonight? Yes. I mean, yeah. Yes. Yes.

Okay. Yes. Yes. and then remove general fund vehicle replacement set aside. Are we cut in half? My problem with this is that well last year didn't we h didn't we purchase like 22 23 vehicles you know all at one time because they just were falling apart. Yes. And as I you know the impact of it'll be need to be increased in the future to catch up or there'd be a longer replacement period which I I do understand the impact of that but when you talk about wanting to look at vital services is setting aside replacement funds for vehicle a vital service that you would want this and cut something else instead. So

the question the question I have on that item is my understanding was that it had been some period of time since those vehicles had Yes. And that's why, for one, those vehicles were held much longer than they needed to be. So they were past the replacement period. So that's why um so many had to be replaced at once. But um my understanding is that between, you know, last year's purchases and this year, we're getting pretty caught up on what needs to be replaced. So there shouldn't be. But that's why that's why there was so many vehicles because we had a backlog, right? Isn't there another item today about purchasing vehicles? It's the same. I think it's the same. There's something in Yeah. Oh, the other one replacement. I knew there was something. I mean,

I mean, we're seeing the fund balance obviously drop by, if we do it again this year, $3.5 million, right, of what it would have been had we funded it last year and this year. True. Are you talking about the the replacement vehicle replacement fund? Um, we can we'll get to that. Yeah, we we'll look at it, but I mean, yeah, we we didn't do it last year. 1.7, we're asking again this year. So, that means 3.5 million didn't go in, but it saved our bottom line. Yes. Okay. But we can when we get to that we can see where the balance is and yeah I I know we address it again later on. So do people want to say wait to say yes until we get to the item? I would prefer to wait. Okay. So we'll wait till we get to that within the So Mr. Mayor now that we've done all the attachments. Yes. Are we going

take a five minute break please?

Yes we will take a five minute break until uh or se seven minute break till 7 o'clock. Thanks. Meeting is recessed at 6:53 p.m. Oh. Hey. Hey.

All All right, welcome back from our recess. Uh, Mr. Clerk, would you please take the role? Council member Roachcha here. Council member Torres Walker present. Council member Wilson here. Mayor Prom Freighus present. Mayor Bernol here. Thank you. We have a quorum at 7:05 p.m. All right. So, we have a couple more um parts to this report to go through. We have attachment E and we also have chart A. And I'm sorry. on the first one. Uh, which is the first one? Chart on are we on item one or item? We're on item one still.

Yes. So, we we want we want to finish this up. So, attachment E um um city manager Scott, is this something we might want to um bring back uh at the next meeting to Yes, you can bring it on Tuesday um for um in the special meeting budget uh study session slot from 6:00 to 7:00. Okay. And we can we can we can work through that. And then um chart A, would you like us to go through this and uh ask questions or make decisions tonight on this? Yes. If you could do both and tell us what you like us to bring back for further information, that would be helpful. Okay. So, is everybody on chart A? That's the uh deficit reduction proposals.

You guys all staple together and giving me a hard time. All right. So, uh All right. So, the first the first item is to freeze animal services manager position. I was just going to say the note on there's there's chart a note. So I'll I'll read the notes as we come to that that freezing this position would result in a reduction of the subsidy to animal services. Just so some I'm sorry I I didn't hear that that freezing the position would result in a reduction of the subsidy to animal services from the general fund. Again I understand that but you know there is a fairness quality here. the individual unless there's something, you know, in negotiations that we're not aware of.

Yes. Um, I think we've we do have information here. Um, and there has been multiple failed attempts at hiring this position. Um, and it has been vacant for quite a bit of time. So, I think the question is, do you want us to come back with information or do you want to freeze it for the calendar year since it's already unveiled? Well, you I have no problem coming back with information. I mean there is a fairness issue here. If a person has been in an acting position for years, you know, if that's the situation, that's the rumor, but if that's the situation, just if you when you come back, please give us some perspective about that. Okay. So, the direction is to bring back further information. Thank you. Okay. Yes.

All right. Yes. Uh freed freeze two code enforcement officer positions. Any any any comments on that? Is that something? Um I thought I heard a comment earlier about the organization. I think you talked about the city deputy city attorney right there. So um so I think that um both of our consultants in the back can tell you the impact that's happening in code enforcement. uh whether or not they believe that these positions should be hired up or if that uh this is for those resources could be better spent somewhere else or frozen for the year. So I will ask one of them to come up. This is in regard to the two code enforcement officer.

But if but if your request tonight is to freeze it and then we start talking about something else, right? That's a whole different discussion entirely. So should it just come back? Uh well, do you want us to cost out a deputy um or do what do you want us to I think you earlier talked about some of the the impacts and the inter relationships and maybe exchange to code enforcement officers for assistant city attorney. I think those are all valid. So I I would with all due respect I would expect that you would come back to us when they That's what I was thinking. Okay. So the direction is further information. Yes. do not fund Homekeeth Plus.

Well, I brought up the question earlier about the property and does what's the status of of of of that particular building and application maybe? I don't know if that can be discussed here, but I wanted to Can we bring that back with more information? So, the direction is further information. Yeah. uh do not fund the uh AQCRT after ARPA funding has expired.

And I'd like to clarify this is just six months of funding because ARPA goes through December 31st. So this is um the public safety and community resources estimate of how much it will cost to fund it from January through June 2027. So, so I would ask if if um we could get more information on what this program would look like at 8 hours per day as opposed to the current 12 as far as the coverage and um the cost. Okay. And it expire it expires 12:31. Is that right? Yeah.

Yeah. I think it would also um when I'm just going back to this conversation around quality of life, I think there's also like a cha like there's a challenge to actually serve people with mental health and substance dependency issues as scale and even even quality like at the count like at the county level and we have a core team and we have all of this other stuff but I don't think the core team address issues around meal mental health,

especially if somebody is in an actual crisis. And so I think yes to to what the baron was saying and something else that could potentially come back if this council decides to no longer fund crisis response services is well, what will people have access to if not? Are we going to transition the crisis response duties to the police department? Are they going to have a mental health unit? Are they are they gonna hire more people? Is everybody gonna be trained? I'm just kind of I'm assuming we all know how we got here in the first place. So, just want to make sure we remedy some of that in the future. So,

can Yes. Can you bring We can bring it back. I think that um let's make sure that we have a conversation about like these are all staff reports and we also have regular agenda staff reports. So, limited I don't want to say bandwidth because I'm looking at the mayor approach. and that's our favorite word together. Um, and so these are this is a lift. So remember you have nine and a half weeks. So um please like figure out what the balance is because we're going this is research writing staff reports in addition to um current streamlined um and scheduled meetings.

I just prefer to know what is the future. So when you recommending to eliminate something, what is the what is the future proposal for it? Right? And so here I don't see a future solution. I don't know if we can give you a future proposal. We can give you what the impacts um are going to be on the call volume um of APD and how that's going to impact their operations. Okay. Yeah. But we don't know about alternatives because we can't control like A3 and all that stuff. Okay. Um but yes, so what I hear you saying is to bring back something.

Yeah. Go ahead. I'm sorry. No, I think what and I'm I'm kind of seeing a recurring theme happening here is we need the narrative on each of these items. You know, whether it's freezing the animal service position, what's the narrative behind that? Freezing two code enforcement officers. We heard the narrative earlier on what the alternative could be. I for all of these I know at least for me, I need to know what the narrative is and how we got there and what would be what's the alternative. And I think that's uh also what uh council member Torres Walker is saying. I so so let's roll through the rest of the list and then to the extent we need narrative on it we can maybe someone we can just decide tonight. So um eliminate set aside at puit cip is that an annual $200,000 that we put aside for Yes.

Yes. Okay. Yeah. So we can get rid of that. Is that is that agreeable? We'll we'll just we'll just we'll just fund as we go like we've been doing. I mean what is the set aside for for all the all the maintenance we're doing over there now? So it just helps offset the cost so we don't have to come all out of pocket. Like you'll see we have all these roof projects that are Okay. So you want to the eliminate Yes. eliminate the set aside. Um eliminate community grants. What is that? That's the $50,000 that we um is that the civic

civic enhancement. I thought that there was a process to actually do a review of the grant the like the process of by which the grants go out do something different and come back. There there was a discussion that we had with community engagement uh is that the right terminology grants civic enhancements civic enhancements and I think the whole thing needs to take a look at and I actually staff's not to blame I'm to blame you know that I need to have that discussion with Mr. Ry. So can we say like freeze instead of eliminate? Yeah. Freeze for a year. Freeze. Freeze for a year. Is that consensus? Yeah.

Okay. Freeze for a year. um pause sister city activities. We have them. This is this would not be for this year but for next year. Correct. Um well, sister city generally I think happens around the July time frame I think. So we have we have funding this fiscal year. No. Well, you already pay for funding this fiscal year. So this be for next fiscal year, right? So this would be for July if the sister city happens this July. This July it's already Oh, they're coming here this July. Yeah. So since we're the host city, I think we need to keep that fun. Is that it? Is that for this 26? She July. July. It's for July. Okay. So, we're Yes, we're gonna keep that. Keep it. So, is it a no? So, we're not we're not going to pause it. We're not going to

So, that's a no. Uh reduce garbage franchise fee allocation to solid waste fund by 100,000. And the note on that one, I'm sorry to interrupt, is that this could only be, of course, we're only looking at 27, but this could not be a continued um reduction in the franchise fee revenue to um solid waste because um they will not have enough money to fund all their programs and services. And we'll be looking at all the programs and services and when we look at the yes on on the 28th when we move the solid waste fund is part of that. So you could preliminary for example say yes agree to this and then when we look at the solid waste budget um you know you can decide if

the number should change or whatever. Okay. Actually, I would say no until we look at those numbers. And I really do need a better understanding of what the solid waste fund funds are the activities. So bring back future bring well that that so that's going to come back. So for me the answer is is you know um no you get future information to reduce the garbage but it's contingent on coming back and having an explanation. So there's no contingent to bring back for We'll talk about on the 28th. Yeah. So, it's just further information. Yeah. So, further So, we'll Yeah, we'll talk about on the 28th.

Um, cancel the citywide signage CIP. Um, $47,000. I'd like to wait until we talk about that at the CIP tonight to hear about what that program actually entails. So, we can wait till then to make a decision. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Okay. Um, cancel restoration of public fountain CIP $47,000. Um, are the fountains we're talking about? The one right here, the Fontana Fountain. It's any fountains. Um, for example, the fountain at Hillrest and whatever something happens. So, it's just kind of money that's been um rolled over and left over from So, you have money set aside to restore just like for the public art.

Do we have do we have do we have fountains that currently have issues? Because I know Deer Valley isn't running or Hillrest isn't running right now. Okay. So, we So, so do we need this money in the budget then? That's 47,000. Okay. So, we don't need it. So, we want to take it off. Sure. Sure. Okay. Take that one out or cancel it. Cancel restoration of public art. Um $46,000. Is that to fix the the the man and the girl that had the arm problem? Is there

that that is that is I don't want to get rid of it. And I I mean, I think that we need to have a better understanding about the public art. Okay. So, we um Does anybody else want to keep the public art money in there? Was that you want more information or was that an absolute no? I I just need more information right now. I said bring it back. Okay. Bring it back. Bring that back. Uh we have uh cancel reduce the city hall modifications um CIP $1.4 million.

Yeah. So, we have um it's been in the budget for a couple years and we've been um starting to plan now that staff is um moving, you know, across the way. We need to modify the basement and do some work there. I'm not, you know, I'm for those of you who've been in the basement and know kind of how that is. And city hall, we're kind of outgrowing ourselves and so we need some space planning um modifications so that we can all fit. And for example, code enforcements all piled on top of each other on the second floor. or if you've ever been there. Um, and so we've really actually started the planning process on this. So we're, you know, we don't want to take the money away because we want to get city hall being able to uh accommodate our employees. That's why we said reduce if you wanted to take off any portion of the budget, but ideally we, you know, would like to get city hall so that everything looks like the first floor essentially nice and new and then can accommodate all the employees.

That's a that's a CIP right there. seem like it seemed like the modifications are are needed, right? And I think we keep hearing move people across the street, but that's a conversation we haven't had. I mean, kind of last week we talked about that. So this whole when people move when people move like we don't know if that's a finality because we need to have a deeper conversation about that. But I do think the modifications need to happen because people shouldn't have to work in uninhabitable conditions.

But isn't that but that's also CIP, right? We're going to be discussing CIP, aren't we? Yeah. I would say no to to this. I'm gonna say no, too. We have a third no. Yeah, sure. No.

Okay. So, we'll say no to this one. We'll keep moving forward. Uh cancelled EOCC improvements um underneath. I will say for um this EOC um the um information services director did some research on our PEG funding and we've built in money um in PEG funds which is a separate you know um money that we get from cable franchise revenue that will pay for the broadband services and other improvements um so that you know we can safely eliminate this 480,000 return it to the general fund because we have tight funding as a source. Well done. So yes, whoever had that idea, director of health, good job. That's a yes. Cancel eliminated. Yes.

Or just actually re repunded differently. Cancel fourth of July event. And now this is for Is this for this? This would be this July. So it is getting awful. I'm I'm going to say no. All right. Cancel National Night Out. Say no. I'm gonna say no. um cancel Junth. No, no, you had a party council even though we don't have money. So, um

Okay. So, then beyond the table on pages four and five were just some um further thoughts if we can get um direction on these. So, other ideas, it's about halfway down the bullet point. Um one is to look at um selling the golf course. Um not even don't even know if there'd be a market. would definitely would take some research, but um just the general fund pays debt service of approximately $345,000 annually. Um the LA the debt service is due May 1st, 2031. So the general fund will be paying that and then we pay approximately $150,000 for irrigation water annually. So total a total cost of about half a million coming from the general fund for the golf course. And the agreement with the golf course only requires a base annual $20,000 payment to the city adjusted by CPI. And the alternative is um while the uh ask is to re um open the licensing agreement for an extension that we would renegotiate the terms higher than $20,000 a year.

Can we do that legally? Yes. City attorney I'm sorry. The question the question is if we can um legally renegotiate the terms of the license agreement with the golf course to something different that would be able to um provide us with more income from the golf course.

Yeah, if that's council's direction, the manager can go and renegotiate. Okay. So is that the is that okay? So it would be not let's not look at selling at this time but renegotiating the lease terms. Yes. Okay. All right. Anything else? Um the next one is do not run any special events other than what you've already given clearance for which is the national out the Junth and 4th of July. So any other special events outside of those three. A suggestion is don't run anything outside of those unless money can be raised to fund the cost. What were the three and fourth of July? Well, you guys approved Fourth of July, June, and National. So, it would be anything outside of those events.

The one the one other item that I saw was the um agreement with the Antioch Unified School Districts 150,000. Um and it's Can we get Can we get an answer on the special events? I I agree with it that we were doing the three period. Okay. It would have to be a special request batch of the city council. You have agreement on that? Yes. Okay. Yes. Okay. Now for Antioch Unified School District, it's okay to go now. Yes, please.

No, just reading where it talked about um that to pay it's it's to pay for water for the two school sites that we do not have an agreement with for use. We well so one agreement is from 1958 and it um literally it's from 1958 saying that we'll pay for irrigation water at the memorial and Spartanfield and I obviously was not here in 1958 but my understanding just from hearing throughout the years is that because those facilities were designed to be recreational joint use facilities so you know we'd pay for the water and they had certain um um terms that they had to maintain. And then the other one is for Lone Tree Elementary. That's a more current um agreement sometime in the last, you know, like 20 years, but again, it was designed as a joint use that the city would be using it for recreational stuff, which we no longer do. So, should we continue to be paying for water at those two locations when the city does not use those?

No, that's why I'm bringing it up. But I want to ask if I don't know if Shahad has the answer to this, but for years, um, Memorial Park was used for youth recreation. um it's not being used at all any longer, then I I would be in favor of of removing that.

Okay. So, we will have to enter into discussions with the school district. We already did um reach out to the city attorney's office. So, we can't just like tomorrow, we're not paying the water. It has to and for example, the Lone Tree Elementary, it actually talks about that that agreement can be cancelled with the one-year noticing period. So, we may have to, you know, we'll have to enter into talks with them and we for the 1958 agreement, we may have to follow the same type of one-year notice, but we'll definitely that'll be um may not have a fiscal year 27 impact, but we'll definitely work on um getting those. I wasn't around at that time. You may have been I was Yeah. Do do will will do you know how many other 1958 agreements we passed?

A couple. And and I think it's it's also just important that as we all know the school districts going through their own challenges. So as we're No, I understand that. But but if this was being utilized for youth and family services, great. But if we're not utilizing it um and I don't believe they are either then I don't know where that money is going other than just paying for the grass to be what I mean. Well, and I think I Yeah, we'll talk with the school district. I think the school district still uses part of our park. So, talk about that. All right. The next item is um if positions become vacant, do not fill them. Um

so you're basically talking about a hiring freeze. That's what it would be because it would be every um so for every position that somebody leaves, you would not fill it. So it's a hiring freeze. That's a yes, that would Well, I I asked that question earlier to our director of recreation, park and recck, because I know there's a vacancy position now. So, that would would that be kind of what we're talking about here? I think there needs to be more information on that.

I guess my question is include. So, I think this is what I know what this means and it also includes the police department. So that would mean for every person that retires or quits or whatever we that position will be frozen and not hired in. That's what that statement is. But it's you know I don't I don't that's I'm not again it's part of the throwing everything out on the table. So it could be come back for discussion in terms of priority positions versus or you know so

I don't know if I'm a fan of a broad brush hiring freeze just for every position that's empty to not rehire in it because we all we're already at a operational structural deficit. So if somebody if 40 more people leave and we do this we're agreeing that we will not hire in that I don't know. Well, I I I agree because I think as I mentioned about um director Wright is if we just had a position become open, I wouldn't want to say that we're not going to hire that position because of this language. So for me, I I can't support that right now.

And the city council's already indicated that they want to hire police department up to 117 fully hire it. So I mean excluding the police department um from this doesn't coincide with that that direction. So we're rejecting that. Okay. But I do think you do need to come back and have a discussion. What do we do with vacancies when you know existing maybe to go back and revisit some of these positions just just overall? Well, we're already at um non-essential steam. So, I mean that's a good sort of holding stasis right now. Okay. Okay.

All right. Next one's water park.

Yes. So, um in looking at it, you know, would it actually cost more money at this point to keep the water park portion closed because you still have to maintain the pool so that you don't get, you know, less Nile and whatever green mold and kind of there and plus make sure it's a safe it's not a safety hazard and because you're not generating revenue, you would actually be um you know lo have to pay maintenance cost. but no revenue to offset that. So, you know, another alternative is to look at um uh reduces the number of days the water park is open. Um maybe operating Tuesday through Sunday or Wednesday through Sunday. We wouldn't have an exact cost for that, but if you wanted um the recreation department to explore that, they could and we could bring back a cost model for that.

So, two comments. One is that um I I I was found it hard to believe it would cost more than $1.7 million a year to close the water park. Maybe that's true. And then secondly, I would say why don't we expand the number of days instead of decreasing them to generate more revenue to offset that cost. So that you know kind I kind of thought going the other direction with it possibly.

And on on this item last year Mr. right, didn't make a presentation and frankly I I applauded him then, I applaud him now because he was bringing forth some creative ideas with regards to naming the facilities and things of that sort. I'm not so sure how far we have gone forward on that, but I do think there are other ideas that we might, you know, go back and revisit. Give you an update. Um, he did some of the ideas. So fees um and then um having a franchise come to do our concession stand so it doesn't cost us. So I'm we will give you an update.

I think a I think a update a update will be appropriate just so we can understand. And then I'm also just wondering to the mayor's comments about keeping the water park open more days and not less. I'm also just wondering what staffing level would the parks and recreation department need to be at in order to stay open, you know, keep the water park open more days. Cuz it might actually cost it's going to be an additional cost. And I would be interested in knowing if keeping it open more days is actually offsetting what we spending. So, are we actually going to make more money or are we just going to stay open more days and still make the same amount of money

or make less or make less or or none at all? And then maybe this the council should consider selling the water park or at least leasing it or something. I don't know. But I would like to see that. Okay. And the next bullet point, I believe we did already address exploring collaboration with the county or other partnerships for animal services. So, um, you know, we said we'd be back with information on that. So,

and just to go back to the water park. So, we would need to bring you back um the estimates to fix it to where it can be leased, which is going to cost. So, that might be your one-time sinking funds um from reserves or from the budget stabilization in order to make money later. All right. Last one is uh reducing the uh police facility maintenance by 1.3 million and that that's a a few projects. Correct. Kind of we're talking about

right. Well, it wasn't it was just saying reduce the budget. There's 1.3 million left. 1.311 was allocated. Um, so council certainly could say no more or they could say let's shave off a few hundred thousand or you know are they I mean are there specific projects that this is says unencumbered right is not is not encumbered there's no projects that are there still leaks is the roof still falling in or I mean there's a yeah if we could have you know Captain Bitner um come up and give his uh color still plan to install solar Yeah. Hi.

Good evening, council. Yes. In regards to 1.3, that's for new carpet, um our new flooring, paint, and workspaces, cubicles for the entire police department. Uh that that doesn't include the the roof repairs, which are uh being addressed now, but that 1.3 doesn't include that. Have y'all seen the carpets in there? Yeah, I think you've all seen the carpets paint. It hasn't been touched since old motel. So, it isn't covered. The carpets. So, we went out the RFP. Yeah. Okay.

So, we went out the RFP for the paint contractor, for the flooring contractor. Um, we're in the process of putting get a staff report done for the the workspace, the cubicles. Um, and that you should have that probably in the first council meeting in in May or maybe on the 28th. So, yeah. So, we're it's it's in the works, but no work has been done yet, but everything's in progress. All right. Council's pleasure. Do we want police department to look better and have work space or I think so. Yeah. Yeah. And just so it really hasn't been touched on the interior since it was built, which I believe was 91. Mr. Freighus, you probably know that 91. My wife was the number one proponent. Yeah. So,

and she and Frank Stone, Council Member Frank Stone actually worked on the whole development. I can't think of the name of the architect. So, yeah, I'm very familiar. Okay. It was late late 80s, early 90s. Yeah. So if your wife went back inside today, it looked the exact same. So that's that's why we're we're looking to change it. I think she'd be very upset. But anyway, all right. So do we have three people? Yes. I'll keep it 1.3.

And the only other item I know it's not on that page, but if you go underneath chart B, I do state that chart B does not include the costing of adding 12 additional police trainees. If you recall at the last meeting did ask the cost of bumping up to the um 117 officers um where there was a discussion about you know basically it wouldn't be full-time it would be getting some trainees in there and starting the academy. So that would be a cost of um $559,000. Um but then of course from 20 fc 28 on it would show full staffing you know fully funded at 117 officers. So you did you want to include the you know funding for 12 additional officers but as trainees during fiscal is that

well just for clarification again that's not 117 no patrol officers correct that's 117 in the department overall right but the positions you're talking about are just officers they would be like patrol they would be however the police department decides to um assign those at that last three uh meeting um we actually asked for a breakdown of how the how a police department would assign it or was the expectation that it will be additional patrolman because that's the clarification I can't seem to get from council or staff every time we bring this up. So so um let me see this.

So is it officers? Is it just any way they want to allocate it? More investigators? What is this going to look like? because I also don't want to have Okay, so the statement from March 24th that was provided by the police department is that sworn staffing at 117 would be allocated to 76 officers in patrol, nine in traffic and and the set team and what engagement team the community engagement team. So nine between traffic and the set team.

Yes. And that's with the total of 117 sworn. But I also just want to state that, you know, even though we're only adding 559,000 because it would be academy and trainees, you've committed yourself to funding 117 officers from that point forward. And in 2728, you know, by building when I give the projections, it's going to have 117, you know, sworn officers. You mean 117 sworn staff? No sworn officers like officers offic I know this but I am always going to clarify

yes because people are going to assume that they're going to be seeing all these police out on the streets and that's not what's happening. The question I asked to the chief I know he's up there. Why didn't the chief come down and answer? Was that the ideal numbers to get to 105 or 106 to be able to cover street patrol?

Yeah. So, just to clarify, 117 total. You're looking at about 17 admin. We're not patrol at all. Those are your lieutenants, your captains, the chief. The other hundred or so would be patrol, detectives, traffic, set, um all the other positions within the police department. So, the numbers were accurate to what Miss Merchant said about um the patrol numbers, uh the set numbers, the traffic numbers, and then about 17 to 18 detectives. And I think that I think the question has been around the capacity of actually hiring 117 officers by July 1st of 2027. Correct.

Correct. And so you're you're asking if we want to add in the 12 officers and and budget for 117 this in the right. But it would be as it would be 559,000 as trainees because they're not going to be, you know, full-time officers by June. Is is that to put them into the pipeline to be able to become up to the 117? Correct. They would have to go through the academy, complete field training, get cut loose, then they would count. They would count numerically as soon as they get out of the academy, but they still have to get through FTO.

So, so it's an investment into full staffing by going through having 12 uh trainees or whatever the right term is to prepare them to come onto the force once they exit and complete. Correct. And timeline the academy is about six months and then FTO depending on how well they do or if they're struggling is four to six months. So, it's it's kind of hard to project. Yeah, we can get bodies into the academy, but how are they going to perform when they hit FTO? Will they clear FTO and get cut loose um off of training and be a solo officer to count towards that number? But isn't the other reality? Police officers will retire. There will be worker comp.

The goal is always 117, but there will be vacancies because of other issues or conditions. Always. Um the workers comp thing doesn't go away. I think we kind of look good in retirement right now. So, um, because we're so young. But yes, you're correct. Thank you. But, but to keep in mind, too, you know, if you add the 12 positions, although it's not going to have a fiscal year 27 impact, if we're looking at in 2728 a $13 million deficit again, then you have to add $2.42 million for the 12 officers being full-time. So, then you're going to make your 10 million almost 13 million again. So,

so on on that issue, um when we budget for these positions, not just the police department, but all positions you budget at top one year, full full,

it depends on the position. Um, one I I generally if there's multiple I'll do like a a mid-range and a and a starting. What I have found in the last couple years because of our challenges we're going through, it's been hard to attract candidates without having to offer a higher salary. Um, so a lot of the officers though because they are coming in there is so new, we're able to budget at an A or a B because they are coming out of the academy or very new laterals. there aren't too many that we have to bring in on the higher level, but other positions when you're getting seasoned employees coming in non-safety um we're having to offer the higher step to get that employee to come here. Yeah. My

but I do do a mixture. It's not always steppy E. It definitely depends on the position at the director level. It tends to be more a D or an E because you need somebody of that high quality caliber experience to come into the city for example. I mean it used to be almost 100% you know and I I know that there should be differentiations in some of this. Yes. You know, it should not be just a broad brush. This is how we fund it every single position. No, and I definitely, you know, take that into account. Now, if someone leaves during the year and they were budgeted at step E, it remains at a step E for that year. But I definitely, you know, we definitely look at the position and um, you know, but so it is a mixture. So, do we have a do we want to include the f the 12 um additional police trainees? Yes.

Yes. Yes. Yes. All right. Okay. Then that um unless there's any other questions on this presentation, we'll be bringing back attachment E. I do have a question. Um why didn't we see the marina in here? We have not gotten to the marina discussion yet. Just like recreation and animal services will be brought back um at a at a separate meeting. We will though, right? Yes. Okay. Is it in relationship to selling the marina or or leasing it out? Selling leasing something else. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yes. All right.

So, with that, we will bring back um attachment E um on the 28th. We'll have a study session from um 6:00 to 7 and then the more involved parts of of what's been asked to bring be brought back will um be plan to bring those back on the May 12th. So, no, it's going to go next next. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So attachment E is going to go on the 28th. Yes. Okay. Um so let's go ahead and move on to the second um part of this study session which is the um the CIP. All right. Director Bunting is going to come up and go through it.

Welcome Director Bunting. Thank you Mayor City Council. Very happy to be here. It's my favorite time of the year. Um, so I I have prepared uh slides um to go over what we're talking about right now. I know this is a workshop. It's a little bit different than what we've done in the past. So you guys are seeing this before it goes to park and wreck and planning and all that. So I'll go ahead and go through the slides. I'll talk through stuff. You're welcome to ask any question that you like. If you'd like it to go in a different direction, just let me know. So first I need to start off with some thank yous. I'd like to thank the guys in the back, our is guys and the video guys out there. They do a really good job and I really appreciate them being out here. Also, the people that work on my project or work with me in capital, Lori Maderos, Paul Paul Fuentes, Robert Robert Pizaro, Mitchell Loving, Julie Vyra. I need to thank the deputy director Carlosa and all of the other departments that they all have a role in this. Here we go. Okay. Today is a workshop. It's in advance of some of this stuff. Right now, uh the way the project will move forward, uh we'll be at the planning commission on the 20th. At that time, we'll be confirming the consistency with the general plan slides off a little bit. We'll have that fixed by the time we go to uh planning commission. Following that, on May 21st, we'll be going to the park and recck. so that they can receive and acknowledge the fact that we've done the CIP. And then on 26, we will be at the city council meeting to actually go over the final draft CIP. And at that point, um, get your final recommendations. And then on June 23rd, we'll be presenting the final CIP for your adoption.

A little bit about what we do in capital improvements. Objectives: provide professional technical engineering services, support to all city departments, and provide leadership in implementing federal, state, and local programs. Capital improvements, we utilize a number of actually, and this is just going to be our cap capital improvement expenditures. So, as we've talked about before, the way the capital goes is that we're only looking at a one-year budget. So really in this you're only really looking at the revised 226 as well as the proposed 27. Uh the four years following that are for planning. Um so in general we kind of look at what we've got going on right here. Uh you see we've been doing a lot of work. We have a lot of money budgeted over the next say this year and going into next fiscal year. Predominantly if you look at the roadways um there's about $40 million that's out there. Work includes pedestrian pedestrian access projects. Uh this includes all of our pavement rehabilitation. And this is our plug leveling course as well as a cape seal program as well as the media enhancements that we do and it includes the the beautifification and widening that we're doing on L Street. In addition, you can see that water system, another fund that we're planning on spending about $21 million on this fund. There's a water replacement program where we're going to be redoing the electrical over at the water treatment plant, having to work around the solids handling at the water treatment plant. Um, currently we we rent a centrifuge. we're looking at to see if that's still the proper way, most economical way for us to uh handle our solids. In addition, there's reservoir upgrades that need to be done. Um do some retrofitting and some uh securing of those. Just want to point out a couple other big items you can see in our uh community facilities about $18 million. That is your that is your second phase of uh the city hall remodel. It's the work we're doing at Puit. It's also the work that's excuse me, it's the work we're doing at Nick Rodriguez as well as the work we're doing at Puit. That's the resurfacing of uh two of the pools out there as well as the deck rehabilitation

that we're doing. Finally, just pointing out what we're doing in parks and trails. $17 million worth of parks and trails works facility upgrades that we're doing. The work at Jacobson Park is nearing completion. Uh Marquetti Park is is under contract right now. Uh we're looking to get the the restrooms should be in in about a month or so, and that'll kind of define the schedule for that particular project. In addition, this includes our bike garden project which is going on over uh near ACC. Funding sources, as you can tell here, uh capital improvements use a number of different funding sources. Uh the enterprise funds, which would be your water fund, your sewer fund, as well as your water improvement fund, and your sewer improvement fund. A number of other things we'll go down and get into a little bit more detail about the grant funds and the special revenue that we have. Something to take note at within these two-year period that we're talking about, you're looking at about $20 million of unfunded projects that are currently in the CIP. Little bit about our funding sources. Couple old ones, assessment district 2731, Lone Diamond Assessment District, as well as the assessment district 26, which is the Hillrest Assessment District. Um, both have minimal funds in them. um mainly due to they've been spent and that uh they're currently being used to house some of the products that we still have. Uh there is a little bit money in the Hillrest um assessment district to do a little bit of work on Hillrest. We get down to enterprise funds. As I said, you have the sewer the sewer enterprise fund, you have the sewer system improvement fund, the water fund, uh it is missing the water systems improvement fund. Both those improvement funds are your capacity funds. Those are capital funds that are money goes in from the developer for expansion. That money gets used in a capital way to uh basically upgrade and uh uh improve the capacity within our systems. Additional funding sources. The first one list is ECRA. That's not a grant.

That will be that's a special special revenue fund. Um but uh that is on there right now. Uh that's something we'll be talking about a little bit later. Some of the other funds that you see up there, the HSIP, which is our highway safety improvement program. So, we currently have two of these funds. One's going to be doing modifications to 69 traffic signals throughout the city. That's about a $2.52 million grant that we have as well as trail modifications. We'll be installing Hawk signals on in three different locations. It's a grant about it actually is $828,000. And again, uh you have the OAG money, one Bay Area grant. Phase two is actually providing one point about $ 1.5 million for the improvements on L Street. In addition to that, the OAG um the third round of OBG is going to contribute about $2.5 million uh that will receiving to do part of the countywide smart signal project. Lastly, I'll just point out um the safe routes to school. This is a partnership that we have with CCTA. Um this is something that city had worked on. We were working with CCTA for two different projects. one being the second phase of L Street, which is a $13 million grant, as well as a bicycle garden, which is a $4 million grant. Very happy. It's working very well working with CCTA. Um, it was an excellent investment by the city as far as I'm concerned. Special revenues, uh, these are just some some of the funds that we use. Uh, the ARPA funds where we talked that was to mitigate COVID, public health, uh, economic impacts, public services, things like that. Uh, as we know that those are going to go away this year. Delta Fair fund. Those are for parks that were built prior to 1980. Um we've talked about how we can use those. The development impact fees uh something that we're working on. It's been something that's been uh we haven't really um brought up to date within the last few years. We are working on it to get those back in place, but those are basically onetime charges for developers to help pay for infrastructure due to

the growth um that that is brought on by the bride on these new subdivisions. Uh Lone Tree uh specific plan benefit district. It says special plan up there. I believe that that's incorrect. Again, we'll talk a little bit more about this. This is this is for work being done somewhere between Oakley, Brentwood, East Annia Creek. It's that area that we're talking about. You'll see later. Uh that that particular fund as well as the Ecraf fund is being proposed to be utilized for extension of Slatten Ranch Road. Uh the last two on there, gas tax, measure J, those are funding that we receive uh predominantly to do roadway work and help our afford our streets uh department. more funds we get to use uh the national pollutant discharge elimination system storm channel maintenance trash captors this is one of those funds that we've talked about trying to increase the revenue on it we have a lot of channels we have a lot of need for these sort of funds it's a very limited funding source and we'll continue to talk about how we can raise revenue uh your RMR road maintenance and rehabilitation another one of our road funding sources uh this goes along with SB1 uh we utilize it again uh to do our roadway maintenance programs. And I will just touch down on that Tidlands AB1900. Uh this is a this is a fund that we're looking to look towards our marina. Uh the marina hasn't been dredged in quite a while. We'll utilize these funds to do the preliminary analysis of what we've got down there. The actual dredging is unfunded, but at least to have an idea of the the condition of the state of the marina and of uh the silt buildup. We'll be looking into that uh this year. So, there's about three people in the crap in the capital improvements department. Um, we get a lot of help from other departments. Here's a little look at some of the work that we've got done. I'll start at the top with the Amtrak

station. That was a a huge effort by by all of all of the city public works did a good job. We worked with our staff. We used consultants. Deputy director Zapeda was on top of that. made the facility look beautiful. Um, our downtown Wi-Fi, it went hot. I think everybody saw that now we have downtown Wi-Fi as what we talked about. Um, so I'm happy to know that that project is completed. Our utility box artwork, have you seen them? They're everywhere. They look beautiful. Um, but again, uh, it's a it's a good project to have done. I'll touch on the pathway repairs because these were done in parks. These were areas where we had trip hazards. Country Manor Park, Almond Ridge Park, De Deerfield, as well as Community Park. Uh we did some work on the on the on the trail pavement out there, eliminating some trip hazards out there, just kind of making the parks a little bit better. Uh and then of course there's a neighborhood traffic calming project. These are the ones that typically install speed bumps or or other traffic calming devices. This past project that we did installed eight speed bumps and one uh raised crosswalk. We did work on Gentry Town, Desiree, Country Hills, and Oyar. And finally, uh, not to be left over, the brackish water diesel plant. You see $96 million like to, we're all happy that back in September that we were able to, uh, commission this facility and, uh, we hope to get a lot of use of it in the future. Wait, let's go back. Let's go back to the general fund projects. Um, okay. So these are the general fund projects we say they're in progress. I'll go down them a little bit. Some are in different phases of what we consider in progress. Um some that I feel that are important. You see that the city hall modifications phase two. That project is in design. We have a lot of talking. We have a con a consultant on board that's been working with us. The money hasn't been spent. We haven't done any work yet. But um it is

there. It is in process but is very much in in the design process. Both the PR park pool as well as approve park concrete. These projects have been awarded. So, they're in progress. There's construction going on. We have the pools being being drained and going to be recoded. The decking's been removed. We're looking to replace the concrete. So, happy to say that those two projects are in the works. Got started a little late. We're trying to push the contractors best we can to get the work done as quick as possible. Um, also on this is our emergency operations center. Again, working in final design of this. You heard that uh they're doing a number of remodel work out the PD uh the paint and the carpet. We'll also want to do this work inside the EOC which would which would bring our EOC up to some sort of standard, get the the infrastructure in there modern. Um be able to also utilize this for public meetings. We'll put a equipment such as we have here in council. So it would allow us to to to broadcast from that place to have meetings um and really make it a a more useful space than it is right now. Updating, like I say, the the technologies that's there. Um and then finally we'll talk about the last one which is a city signage project. Um currently we have a project out to bid. This project is to do park signage. When we originally started this process, RSM was a design consultant that we used. They produced a magazine that had you know our font that we were going to use and they also came up with like a initial package that we would be looking at in terms of if we were going to go for these parks. So basically at community park, city park, chi-chebu, some work down here at Waldi Plaza, as well as some signage at Puit, and then there's some other about eight different signs on trails uh that we were able to fit in there that were put out to bid um to basically use our new signage thing. It would be typical similar to what we see at Chi-Chibu, the the main sign that they have there. Overall park signage might look a lot like Halpoon, but Halpoon was done, you know, by a developer, so it's a little bit different, but this was the first phase of that with the object of getting these

three areas done. Personally, community park, city park are big. We've talked about community park for a long time. I really would like to see, you know, worshaw sign up there and things be nice. Again, might be a little late on this, but we're getting things moving. Um, so again, super excited about that. Uh, very interesting project for us to put together. So, we look forward for this getting rolled out and then being able to move forward with other projects, other parks um in the future. Funding is limited, so we'll be able to get through with this and we'll be talking whether or not we do want to extend funding uh for this type of project uh to do the rest of the parks. Okay, some more projects. Now, these are in progress and again in in different levels. um upgrading access control. You know, that's something that we're continuously doing, making sure that, you know, we do have the key cards are working and we expand everything so that security is in good shape. I'll talk a little bit about Jacobson Park. Jacobson Park, I say is just about nearing construction, new playground out there, new landscaping, providing 80 accessibility from the road. If you're not familiar with it, the park is actually re quite a bit lower than the roadway. So now there's a switch back down there so you could get down to the park um without having to have stairs and having to be the the slopes too steep. Um getting the the basketball court was getting redone. Uh that's currently kind of the remaining item right there to get the basketball court done. It's being reconfigured a little bit. Um but again um almost complete. Beautiful. It's going to be a beautiful park. The community bicycle garden, that's one over on AC next to uh the community center. uh working through the design. Uh first steps are getting out there doing some uh geotechnical borings. Uh that should be on the way here within the next couple weeks. Briefly ch talk about the last two projects that you see. The last one which is a traffic calming program. That's our neighborhood program. Um we're rolling out the next project looking to install 13 different uh speed

bumps basically throughout the city streets that'll be done. We're looking at Sunset Drive, East Trigalis, Wildflower, West Medill, D Street, East 19th Street, Sunset Lane, and Candlewood Way. That'll be about 13 new speed bumps that we're that we're getting to, bringing us pretty close to where we're at. We get a lot of information. It's a program that a lot of people want to know about, but there's lots of lots of things that have to be checked before they're able to get to the point where there is a speed bump being placed. We're doing a pretty good job of taking taking that number down and getting these facilities out in place. I'm really happy about the fact that the first project was relatively um cost-ffective and that our ability to roll out this other project. Um I think we can do this pretty soon and and then get some more of these facilities out there. Lastly, you'll see the L Street project. $21 million is what will end up being spent out there. Currently, you have the first phase of the project which is Sycamore, excuse me, Sycamore to the freeway on the southern side and then 10th Street to the marina um on the northern side. That's phase one under construction right now. A lot of access that you're seeing out there, new handicap ramps being placed. Uh you have a flashing crosswalk to help with the pedestrian access over off of uh Pepper Tree on and um yeah, Pepper Tree the crossing because basically you have the elementary school that's right across the street. Um so project that project is also moving along pretty good. Uh there the next phase for us is continue with a little bit of the concrete work and then you'll see uh the street will be refinished, restriped. Uh hoping you know probably around June, probably do the final uh road work possibly when school's out. Uh that might be something we might look for try to get into the June time. More things in progress. There is lots of stuff going on. Again, limited staff, but we do a lot of things. Street light improvements. I know this is another big topic for everybody. It's the lighting

that we have here. This program is for everything north of the freeway. Right now, we're waiting for the equipment. Um there's been a little bit of delay trying to get the lights. We expect those facilities to get here within the next 3 or 4 weeks. Once we get the facilities, then we're able to go. We have the contractor ready to go. We have the staff that's able to help them. We know how the project's going to get rolled out. It's just a matter of getting the lights and to be able to to have the lights to do install. So, um, street lighting is it's kind a little bit misleading because most of it is street lighting, but we're also replacing all the lights. Any any pathway lightings that you see which may not be LED will be swapped out to be LED lights like around the the marina, the police department. There's a number of these little things. You might see some pocket lights also within freeways that are ours. It'll be replaced. Um, we talked, well, next we got the Sycamore, the Sycamore traffic comming. So, Sycamore traffic comming went with James Island, went with 10th Street. They were all passed by the council a while back. Um, they've been put on hold a little bit. Uh, we are rolling these things out. Sycamore is actually out for bid right now. Um, slowing it down a little bit. Need to get this in front of the park and wreck commission, which will happen uh in May. Uh, just to get their feedback because there is road alterations that need to be done. We'll be taking both. We'll taking Sycamore, James Island, and 10th Street, all three of those to the BPAC to get their blessings to make sure we're on the same page, and then look to roll out Sycamore, which would be followed by the other two projects. Also on this list is the upgrade of 69 Signals. We spoke a little bit about the funding for this, which is great because, you know, it's very much needed. This is a project we're basically going to replace the lenses on the lights that aren't in good shape. Put the the reflective backing. You might see that in some of the areas around Calrans and other cities. Um, we're going to get that installed on a bunch of these as well as pedestrian countdowns because a lot of our signals, they just kind of have a hand and that's it. These will put a pedestrian countdown on, help with the pedestrians, make sure people know how much time they have to cross the street. Um, just to

make things a little bit easier. Following that is the county smart signals. Again, fun. This is these are fedally fun or these are grant funded projects. This project in particular, this project's going to address traffic um in two of the major congested corridors that we have. Empire Empire Mine or Empire Road to H Highorn on Lone Tree Way in that area as well as Auto Center/Summersville in between uh Mahogany and Fair View. The lights in there are going to be switched out to being these smart signals. Uh they basically talk better to each other. They adapt to traffic. They're they really help traffic move through the area. Hoping that it'll be a good thing. The area on Summersville and Auto Center has been something that nobody's been able to do anything about. Um, and it's continued to be a mess. I hopefully this will really help us. The area over uh by by Lowe's is is a new uh sort of mess and we hope that this also this this project will help you know help the traffic go through the area. They talk better to each other so it's not just it's more of an active system. Um, also on this it's towards the bottom water studies. Uh so water studies include right now we currently have a water master plan that's being developed as well as urban water management plant. Both of those are under works. That's what that'll be. And then down at the bottom you got the solids handling that we spoke about. Again look to see what we need to do. We did this a few years ago to to just take the make an analysis of what the best way to do this is for us. You know we've currently rented out. The biggest thing with solids handling is actually getting rid of solids. Um so we've got that's always a little questionable. But then also we're it's the idea of your facility, rental facility. We put the Delaw project out there. We've got that out there. The really the only thing that we're really missing out there is is a way to really handle the solids that would be ours. So we're looking at a number of things. Screw press, belt press, uh the centrifuge, all that stuff. We'll be looking into a little bit more to see what's most effective. Do a costbenefit analysis. See if purchasing it and

staffing it is the right way to go or continue to use the rental that we have right now. Rental we have right now could go away. And that that that concerns me. So we want to make sure that we have the ability to take care of these solids because solids are generated as part of the water making process. You know, that's what comes out and you have to deal with the solids as well as the B, you know, the water that's that's that's discharged. Okay, so here's the fun stuff. More stuff added to the CIP. We didn't have enough to do, so we have to add some stuff. Uh up at the top is our real-time data center. This would be at the PD. Basically, we're talking about an increase of the dispatch area, making it bigger, increasing the technology in the area, able to utilize it and hopefully grow to so that it would be a real-time center where we could have TVs and people monitoring it, utilizing whatever facilities we might have, drones or people out in the field to really have that ability to be on top of it immediately. Um, and that's that's kind of the plan with that. uh configuration would need to be dealt with a little bit because currently as you as you may know the PD is pretty squared away. Dispatch kind of has its little spot doing something that would probably demand a little bit more facility building. A number of roof projects that popped up a little bit earlier. Uh yeah, the roofs do need to be maintained. Um you have these budgets in there. That's what we think. We've had some estimates, but of course we'll dig into that and make sure that's what's required. Uh if it can be rehabbed, that's great. if it needs to be replaced, that's what we do also. But those four projects will work through. Uh the third one from the bottom, like I said, we've added this to the to the CIP, it's Slatten Ratch Road phase one. This would be basically from Wild Horse to Wikllo. Um it's right now in the CIP looking to uh utilize ECRA funds as well as the as well as East Loan Tree Assessment um special special district funds. Uh, and then we're still unfunded for, you know, a few million dollars at the back end of that. But it's something in there. It's a it's a year out. Something hopefully we can discuss and

see if it's something that the council is looking forward looking to do. Sewer master plan is also underway. So, water master plan, sewer master plan, urban water management plan, general plan. You know, we are looking at these things, seeing what the future is going to look like, as well as a sewer rate study that's also in the mix right now, too. So, there's a lot of things going on with the utilities. And then lastly is just the removal of the underground storage tank that's at James Donlin, our James Don tank or water storage reservoir. The currently the tank is underground that holds the diesel. It's old and basically so it needs to be removed and rather than having it underground, we'll put it above ground so it's easier to maintain. It's just a better situation. There's a lot more we can talk about. So, I'm here for any questions that you might have, uh, any adjustments that you might want to see, and anything we want to talk about.

Thank you, Scott. Uh, do we have any, uh, public comment?

We have no public comments. Oh, one. Sorry. Thank you. Um I think the largest question for me is um the Slatten Ranch extension. what is the justification coming from that end or starting on that end of Slatten Ranch versus building out infrastructure around our BART station. You know, I would think that with the struggles that Bart is dealing with as far as writership and with um the ex with the with the higher density opportunities um and the mixeduse opportunities that are centered around that Hillrest area. um what would be the justification in starting over on the Brentwood side of Antioch and going through that extensive infrastructure upgrade for a lot of I mean I understand I guess it would be commercial development and there is some residential built in there but once again you know looking at how every other city has addressed their transit districts I'm just curious how as we go into this general plan update process and then this CIP process, why do we keep avoiding that BART station? Why are we avoiding that area? I understand Slatten Ranch was extended

down to the BART station to their terminal down there to their facility, but there was no infrastructure that goes across the railroad tracks over to the other side. There's no infrastructure connecting further down. We just had a massive fire over there that Confire couldn't even control and was a significant environmental risk. And then the first CIP project that addresses Slatten Ranch starts from the other side. So I'm just curious if this was always intended as the first phase of the project. Um what is the justification from starting over there? Um understanding that BART is trying to extend whatever model that is and the financial instability that they're dealing with now. But I'm just curious because if they do get back on track and we build out the infrastructure over there, then that incentivizes BART to build infrastructure for Brentwood and Discovery Bay. And so I'm just wondering using these regional dollars, why wouldn't we once again focus on that transit district so that we can support greater projects and don't end up with an apartment complex that's behind a 711 that just brings even more traffic into the area. So I had questions around other projects, but that was my largest concern. Thank you.

All right. Any other public comment? No further public comments. All right. Thank you. Uh we will now move on to council's questions. What I'd like to do, Director Bunting, if we could is kind of walk through the um some of the pages of the of the report that I think some of us might have might have uh might have uh made some notes on. That'd be all right. report or the actual draft. The draft the draft cap. That'd be great. Yeah. Yes.

Okay. So I I so project 7359 pavement management system. You know, I'm still going to be talking about Country Hills and and Whitetail. 36 years I've lived there. No improvements whatsoever. And so I I need to understand I'm not the only resident in Antioch that's been neglected. And so I I need to understand this system

and why, you know, I think earlier you talk about the ratings of our streets. I think earlier it's a we got a 63 or 67 which is fair and but a lot of these streets haven't been touched for 40 years. So I'm not understanding the pavement management. When I look at the budget that you're requesting, you know, it's 114,000, you know, and change for fiscal year 2526. Nothing in 26 27 and then in 2728 $100,000. How are we ever going to repair repair a lot of the existing streets that literally are crumbling?

So, no, we're good. So the pavement management system, the payment, the project that you're talking about is what develops our our pavement management system. We do it every other year because that's when we're eligible for grant funding. It's a PTAP process that comes through MTC. We utilize their funding. Actually, it doesn't even come as funding. They provide a consultant for us. We utilize that consultant to do a pavement evaluation. They go through, they drive the streets, they give an evaluation of what our streets look like. From that they develop our new basically our pavement management system. Work with our staff here within streets. Street saver is a program that this stuff gets utilized in. The streets get reranked and now they're going to get a new PCI on them. That process will allow us to have another understanding of what the streets look like and how we should develop the plan. When we were at council previously with the with the Cape Seal project, uh the acceptance of that, there was a list of where we think we're going to go with the next project or two. There's about four four segments that were in there. That's where we're thinking at right now because of it comes from a lots of things. It comes from our pavement management system, what the PCIs are, what we hear from residents, and just what the general condition of the roadway is. So, you're going to and and MTC's delayed this for a year. So, this project this process should have started should have started last year. No, not for the city's fault, but because of the way the contract went to our consultant, it's got pushed back a year. So, we'll utilize them. The process has started. Adhera is the name of the consultant that we'll be utilizing. They'll start the process, like I say, to re-evaluate our streets. So, work with staff so we can get a new evaluation, and from that, we'll generate a new 5-year list. Where we have right now is where we're at, but it takes a little bit. We go through the process. We utilize what we get from the consultant. We work with what the PCIs are and what their recommendations are as well as working with staff and that's basically how you're going to develop the next phase of what our say our five-year plan is. The pavement management system which is developed utilizing these PTA funds like I say it's every other year. That's why you

see it the way it is within the CIP. Well, Mr. Bunny, I think your system has failed for at least 36 years that I'm aware of personally and I'm not the only one. So, I I I it is beyond me the condition of some of our streets. If you went in and got a front wheel alignment and you went down some of our streets, you'd have to go back and get another front wheel alignment. And it's just not acceptable. I mean, you're talking about something today. I'm talking about something that has existed for more than 36 years just in my neighborhood. And I can go all over town. And so I I I don't see any hope.

Um I just my question um to the mayor pro Tim is are you asking what the plan is for improvement? I think it's a revenue issue um that was you know not having capital as a replacement built into development agreements and in the city for several decades before um director Bunting got here. So I think the question is um you know in terms of addressing it um I think your lack of hope is our question about what's is surmountable and what's insurmountable. Um so first the study to get us up to date is something that we would like to bring back to you all and then I think there needs to be a larger conversation about what street maintenance looks like for the city.

But there has always been a study. I can tell you for at least for 40 plus years I'm aware public works always has a study on the roads always that is supposed to guide you know the CIP investments

and frankly for a good portion of the town it has failed and in the narrative that you provided to us when we're at a 63 rating which is quote unquote fair you know 63 when I was in in high school was the C minus D+ and that's the problem I see. So yes, I okay, it's another study, but a lot of people are suffering and I I just I don't think it's a comprehensive approach to payment management and listening to what you're saying, I don't think there's anything really different except you're updating some information with different consultants. So can you tell me is what's so different about this new five-year plan from the past 40 45 years? The plan that will be rolled out after we work through uh this process with O'Hara will give us the what the conditions are currently and from that current condition which would be different from past years. the current condition, we will be able to analyze it a little bit better, come up with another five-year plan, which basically gets done every two years because we'll be reable to evaluate this. But utilizing this, utilizing the information that we get from this study will help us develop that plan even further. So, as the city manager said, we'll go through the process. We'll go through this and we'll figure and we can come back with the with the recommendations and what we're seeing from the pavement management system and the process that we're getting through the PAP and with ADHERA to show you kind of where that's at. That's not a problem at all.

Director Bunting, uh, when do you think the the study will be completed? Do you have any idea on that? I I you know what, they're just getting started because they're backed up also. I can I can get back to you through the city manager once we get the schedule from them, but they just re-engaged. Like I said, they pushed this thing back. It should have been done last year. Uh they pushed everybody back for a year.

Yeah. I think to Mayor Pro Tim's point, I think the frustration is obviously lack of adequate funding and then the fact that we have a lot of older neighborhoods that have had nothing done obviously in 35 plus years. We're also seems like spending a lot of money on um matching funds for capital jobs like L Street. We kicked in four or five million. So, you know, that's money that otherwise would have gone to street maintenance. So, I think it's probably a bigger discussion once that comes back of kind of where all the funding sources are, where where all the money is going. I know these these smart signal projects, we we had some matching funds to go on that. So, there's a lot of a lot of concrete work. We just did a big million-dollar concrete project which doesn't address the streets because we have to have handicap rams done before you can pave the streets. It's a really it's it's a comprehensive um item and I think it'd be good when the study is done to come back with something that's comprehensive of what we could look look forward to to seeing.

Understood. Project number 7745. This is the Northeast Antioch annexation infrastructure. were is this a legal obligation of the city of Antioch when we annex the property? This money was contributed both by the county and by the city to provide infrastructure to that area. Okay. And um there's one that I'm ahead

on that same project 7745. Isn't Delta Diablo also assisting um or working collaborative collaboratively with the city on this particular project. I believe I heard this project come up on the Delta Diablo side in what fashion? Um and as far as funding around around the lines going to the wastewater plant?

No, Delta Diablo's Delta Diablo's issues do not affect the city's conveyance lines. Those would be them replacing their so between the city, the city has our own conveyance lines that move sewage to Delta Diablo. Delta Dabo then has lines that move through the city from the Antioch pump station, actually the bridge head pump station, which is on the eastern side of town over to the Antioch pump station at Wilbur and then over to Delta Diablo. I believe what you're talking about is they they need to do some redundancy and some replacement of their mains that are crossing the city. uh it wouldn't it doesn't connect to our system. It's it's a I believe that it would be a Delta Diablo improvement for their system, not necessarily affecting the city.

Okay. And I I just assume so. Thank you for for elaborating on that. So I I had a question. So they're in the they're in the same area. Their lines go down Wilbur. So they're they're coming in that area. So maybe that's the connection. Okay. Well, in a little bit I have some more wastewater questions, but I'm going to let uh Mayor Potmpen Project 7937, the Pittsburgh Aniac Water Entertain.

So, I think it's a great idea. The question I have is more of a legal agreement between how this will be managed and you know the if if it's needed, how it will operate and who's responsible. is that it's a project right now, but I I'm concerned about the legal aspect and and an agreement signed by both parties exactly how it will be implemented. Yes, that is part of it. We have three neighbors. We have Brentwood, we have Diablo Water, and we have Pittsburgh. Um the hope is to move forward with inner ties with all three of those during this year. They would all need agreements so that there was a way for us to, you know, like you say, how is this managed? When does it get managed? A biggest thing for the city of Antioch is that uh our hydraulic grade line is higher than the ign than the adjacent cities which means that water can flow from us to others by gravity but it does not flow back to us. So in order for these entertainable and be beneficial to the city we need to have a bilateral pump system in there so that we can move water from the adjacent suppliers to us. So that's part of it. We currently have inner ties with Pittsburgh, but it is a it's it's basically a a a segment of pipe that can be connected. Um, but with that being said, the water flows to Pittsburgh, not back to Antioch unless Antioc's pressure would drop quite a bit. So, the answer to your question is yes, we would be looking to get agreements with Pittsburgh and possibly with anybody else uh that we would want to have this sort of agreement with.

I mean, so you're going to be doing three of them. I would hope that the city attorney begins the process because I think there'll be a lot of discussions particularly with how it operates and how it who pays who when damage and things of that sort may may occur. Yeah, understood. So, we have a pump station on Wilbur that that does tie into Delta that does tie to Diablo water. Uh there was an agreement. The agreement has expired. It's something we're going to be looking into. So, there has been something in there. It has been taken into consideration in the past. We'll build off those old agreements, but also make sure everything's up to date.

And for me, uh, item 8008, Rivertown Community Space. For me, it's not no, it's hell no. I am absolutely opposed to this project. I have been proposed to this project for more than 26 years. As a candidate running for Antioch City Council in 1998 and serving for two years and then as mayor for eight years and every city of the city address, I absolutely have come out opposed to making the Beyumber Yard a park. To me, it's one of the most most important pieces of property we have in the Rivertown. And what we're proposing is a passive development versus what I believe is necessary for the Rivertown to actually, you know, move forward. And that is uh more uh residential, new residential development combined with uh economic developments and having a park there brings nobody to the downtown. Does not generate any property tax revenue. does not provide any sales tax revenue. City of almost 120,000. We don't have a hotel conference center. We don't. And I think that is a absolute tragedy. Growing up as a kid here, if you could go anywhere in the greater Bay Area and mention Riverview restaurant, everybody knew where you what you were talking about because people came from San Francisco, Valleo, Sacramento on their boats and came down, you know, and parked their boat there, got in for dinner and and other social activities and had a very very good time. We had a great reputation. So in the downtown there is no nothing there's nothing that attracts outside people versus even people in southeast Antioch to go to the downtown and putting a park there I think is the wrong thing. I think it is a waste of a precious

resource that we have or we could do mixed commercial and residential and I just I guess this is in here because a council previous council has said they want a park. Is that right? Yes, that was previous direction. We've had a number of outreaches regarding it. There's been a number of uh forums with the residents. I know I attended them. I spoke to them. I got attacked by them. You know, and on and on and on. From my perspective, this is one of the worst things that could ever happen in the downtown and a waste a waste of an incredible asset in the downtown. Well, we have I see what it says, but it's

it's it's unfunded. There was a lot of work done to engage the community because I'm assuming there was a save the yard campaign y

a few years ago. Residents down here got together. The city brought in somebody to do a park design. The design had a lot going on in it. Canopies, you know, amphitheater, everything. It came back to the council in 2021 and it was like, well, that was a old design. Let's have conversations with the community and see what they what, you know, people want to see today versus what that group asked for. And I know Ron, you were here as a city manager. And there were there were many discussions about it being a park, but there were also discussions about what you know some people were wondering what would the marriage look like between development and green space there. So, what ended up happening was the report never came back to the council on the outreach and conversations that I've been having more recently with businesses downtown and um other residents is that it's not it it wouldn't help with economic development like the mayor prom said and we've been speaking about this a lot. It won't help with economic development. it won't help attract people uh regionally. And so the conversation I believe moving forward we were are going to start discussing I'm assuming in our standing committee is about um actually what is some yes mixeduse development but what is a marriage between development and green space could actually look like. So, it's not just serving as a park with green space, but also a way to bring some revenue. And then also, I know myself and David Store had a conversation about some other property that the city owned down here and businesses said that they would actually like to see a parking like a parking some sort of boutique parking garage or something down here that's

maybe like mixeduse parking and commercial. not on that lot, but um another um another city um lot. So, it's a bigger conversation. I would like us to have it in the standing committee, but I was under the assumption that this wouldn't be coming back because last cuz last year I could have swore that this council actually voted not to do that project to eliminate it from the CIP and for it not to come back. And so I was actually shocked to see it to see it here because I remember that when we went through the CIP and people said yes, no, yes, no, yes, no,

and the lumber yard park area was actually one people voted to not do. Is that something we can do now? Yeah. I mean, we did it then, so we're doing it again. So, just to comment on that, I'm not sure if it was removed from the CIP or just not done last year. Deferred off. There's unfunded. It's an unfunded project that the the council I remember is saying defer. I actually remember a handful of people up here voting to not even move forward with discussing it. And that is definitely an option right now. If that's the I'd like to bring that up now. Why don't we um It's unfunded. It's a project we don't want to move forward with. Why don't we make that take that action tonight?

Is there consensus to remove it from I think the consensus should be that this discussion be moved to the standing committee um with myself and mayor promises to talk about future opportunities and development. So in the meantime, do we want to take this out of the CIP? Yes. Yes. Okay. Please take that out of the CIP. All right. Is there any other Anybody else have anything else? Go ahead.

I have a few questions besid I think most of these I'll probably just email to you. It's just in regards to our watch system and wastewater and I know we're pri prioritizing water and wastewater projects. Um are these the ones that are being prioritized are these primarily driven by maintenance needs, regulatory requirements or just future growth?

It depends on what we're talking about. uh work over at the water treatment plant is is a lot because of just the infrastructure is there. The electrical the electrical situation needs to be resolved. So that's something just to keep things up to date. Um other things at the plant often are regulatory requirements that we're continuously working on. Other things such as a water man replacement project or something like that may be driven by breaks that we had or issues that were that the staff has been dealing with that we need to go out there and do that work. It very much varies depending on what projects we're doing, but there is a lot of regulatory stuff that continues to change, a lot of testing that's being done at the lab at the lab within our water treatment plant to keep up with those things. Um, but a lot of what's a lot of what's driven most of our things is, you know, we get the aging infrastructure that needs to be replaced. You end up with things that are increasingly getting closer to their life expectancy that need to be replaced in order to keep things running. And then um we have two questions are kind of tied together. Do we have a sense of our deferred maintenance needs of these systems and how the CIP is addressing over time over time?

So we're lucky that that most of our systems actually in pretty good shape. Uh a lot of our water line or a lot of our say start with our sewer lines. They may be old, but a lot of them are clay. Uh and they're in good shape. If they go in and they're installed correctly, they're good to go forever. It's an inert process that you know really unless things become uneven there's no problem there. Um we keep up to date with the the our system itself is is in good shape. Uh when there is repairs our crews are able to take care of them. Once you end up with a couple different two three maybe repairs in an area then it starts moving to maybe we need to replace that line. So so then we're able to get out there and do that work. Um so yeah. Um,

and then are we using like predictive technology to kind of help us with these maintenance repairs? Is that something we've invested in to kind of help us get ahead of things that potentially could go go real south in the future? But really using this technology to stay on top of repairs or maintenance or what needs to be upgraded.

It's not technophisticated currently with what we're using. We do have leak detectors that we can utilize, but lots of things are underground and you really can't know that there's going to be a problem. Um, but typically there are indicators and that unfortunately happens because there is a break and you find that there is a break in a line and that might lead to the idea that hey, what's happening here may be happening at other neighborhoods. We might need to look at something more total of what we're doing. Sewer-wise, same sort of thing. If we end up with any infiltration or problems with our lines currently, we're looking to line them. It's much more cost-effective uh to be able to line them and to be able to still utilize them, but then you stop the infiltration, exfiltration of the pipeline, but a lot of it isn't tech. I wouldn't say it's technologydriven at this point. There are some things that we can use, but a lot of it is just what we see and what we what we experience. I think that's something we probably should should look into because you yourself just said when a main when a main breaks

then we know there's something wrong with it. Whereas in this maybe using something along this this technology to be able to kind of predict that hey this this line is getting weak and we can get out ahead of it before there's a main break and it's a larger issue. It is something we can look at. I mean we are aware when the lines were constructed so we do have an idea of what their life expectancy is. So, you know, that is a time where you should get in there and start doing some projects. The rest of this I will email to you. Cool.

Thank you for all the hard work presentation. It's 834. Um I'm on community facilities um page um 8006 the um 800 West Second Street. And so I have a lot of questions because historically when this has showed up in the in the um C uh CIP, it has showed up as Department of Public Safety and Community Resources every time. This is the first time since the former council voted to allocate ARPA dollars to purchase that building specifically for the use of the Department of Public Safety and Community Resources, which the name is changing. I see you squinting. I see you over there squinting. Um, this is the first time I've seen it show up in a CIPS financing human resource department facility. So I'm I'm guess I'm just wondering about clarity because direct there was a clear vote direct like how the funds was going to be used what department it was going to be used for and direction given and it's historically in all the documentation ARPA documentation ARPA expenses and the CIP it has always said department of public safety and community resources and now is showing up today as finance and human resources department. So I'm wondering why this discussion

didn't come back. So I would invite you to review the September 23rd, 2025 council meeting where we brought to council uh an amendment to design specifically for that building. And in that staff report, there was an attachment which clearly showed it was going to house HR and uh the finance department.

And this council voted 5-0. No, it was it was supposed to be the Department of Public Safety and Community Resource Space and there was I remember a discussion about HR and some other department maybe also needing to colllocate in that space. I I would be happy to send you the uh staff report and the annotated agenda where everybody voted and the layout was in there. odd because

everybody up here seemed super shocked when it came back like this. So, was it that it wasn't explained? Why would we why would we purchase a whole building for a whole department and then say that now that department is going to be homeless because we want to move people out of city hall with so I'm just trying to understand the thinking around this. Um I and where is the Department of Public Safety and Community Resources going to go given that young people

invested a lot of time in organizing to make that happen as well as the community and so I'm just yeah um we can come back with information about this but we did check because we were we wanted to make sure that we hadn't miss and we did check with the clerk's office several three people actually checked um for the vote that Carla Maybe it wasn't clear that the that it would be permanent like Mhm.

permanently used for that. It was it was the conversation I remember was that another department would be colllocated in there with the Department of Public Safety and Community Resources. There was never a discussion about the Department of Public Safety and Community Resources not having h not having a space.

Yeah. So, we're still in discussions about space planning right now looking at the business needs um and making sure that we actually didn't make that mistake on the vote for the legal record. Um so, we can come back with that and the operational needs because I'm trying to figure out what the crosswalk is in between like business and the council directing directing daily operations in terms of where people sit in the building. And so let me come back to that so we can have a conversation regarding that. I think it's really just intent versus like impact. Where is the department and public safety and resources going to sit? They serve youth. They're doing violence prevention,

housing and homelessness, tenant protections. Those are all direct to the community where community was expecting to have a space to be. So what is the plan?

Yeah. So the last conversation we had a few days ago regarding this was we actually felt like we should redo the current space because of its access point in mid city um instead of having people come down st come down to city hall. Also not going to any having a direct first floor egress instead of going up elevators are down to the second floor of the basement. Um, also we talked about the Nick Rodriguez Center um, in terms of what the connection will be for youth, but because of the resources and the collocating with parks and um, recreation, we actually think it's better for them to stay where they are and use DI funds to redo the side of um, some of the community center.

Is is this something that can come back in? I don't I there was no discussion prior to like with people like this is what I'm saying like partnerships are supposed to work to like be in communication so there's clear understanding and we can work together this work was done by myself and councilwoman Wilson who still exists here and there was no conversation with us no one reaching out to say what do you think about this and no like solution planning moving forward so now it's just like, "Oh, we're going to re maybe it's the Nick Rodriguez Center. Maybe it's maybe it's the Lin House. Maybe maybe they stay in the substation and there don't be a substation or maybe we expand that." I mean,

yeah. No, I understand and I apologize. I want to take It's not transparent. So, yeah, I'll take responsibility for that. I don't think I'm used to um as a city manager coming to ask you where to put staff since I'm running daily operations. I also didn't realize that there was a conversation before I got here that public safety, community resources was going to be moved. It was all documented.

Yeah. And so that I just But in getting up to speed, there's a lot of things that I just am not privy to until the conversations are had. So, so in taking responsibility, we're trying to also problem solve um and and balance the needs of business um along with the authority of my office to move staff based on those business needs and have transparent and and um public conversations. So, I appreciate the conversation. I apologize. I do think that um I would like to discuss this further. Um but intent versus impact is noted. There was no ill intent on my part. So, I want to I don't want my staff to be blamed for any of this nor the department heads. Um, and so we can u continue the conversation.

And I think the the fact that it affects not just public safety and community resources, but these all these departments and the different facilities and the substation, maybe it's just a bigger discussion about kind of how it all works together and your vision for that.

Yeah. And when you move people out of city hall, what is the plan? Like are is it just city hall going to be vacant? Like with I mean I don't I think like it's important to understand the bigger vision. not trying to dictate where people go or sit, but I also think if if we are saying we in a partnership up here, it's also important for us to understand the bigger vision to be able to articulate it and support it and not be put in a position to be up here now saying what happened just wasn't transparent.

Well, I think clearly we just need to have a master plan of how it's all going to come together and where people will be. I'm not in any way interested in telling you where to sit people. I'd like to just see what's the plan. We get the construction done here across the street. And I think that's the first phase, right? Getting the staff over there so we can if the project still stays where we can remodel the city hall. There is space here. Well, respectfully, the first phase should have been bringing a deeper transparent discussion about all of this and what it would act like actually look like moving forward. That should have been the first phase.

Yeah. Um yeah, thanks for that. There we're just there are things that I missed. Um so just trying to keep up with the plate of work here coming into what I came into. So we will bring it back um and have a discussion. I don't want to add any fuel to the fire, but I do want to ask a question. Are we possibly eliminating the police substation? No. No. So that is maintained. Yes. Okay. So yeah, I look forward to this report. All right. I um Director B had a couple questions. So, um related to the the park signage project,

can can we use any park and L funds to pay for that park signage? Is that possible? It's something we can look into. Um we have quite a bit of money and it would be, you know, these are pretty expensive projects, but they're like Chiu looks wonderful. So I think it'd be nice to, you know, if that is a available funding source to use that for some of this. Yeah, that would be great an opportunity. We have money for this first phase. It's unfunded for about probably a million dollars after this. So that's something we'll definitely look into as well as well as any Delta Fair some of these older parks on on that. Just for clarification, um so what I see at Chichu Park, that's the signage we're talking about because it's really I really like it. Super nice. So that'll be the signage that'll be going throughout the parks and different

Okay. Is that right? Yeah. I just want to clarify. Yeah. Yeah. So So what you

I know. I mean because the old city logo and and in and like say at the park on James D the community park. I was just wondering will we have will the new signs match kind of what I see at Chichaboo? I know we I know we single out Chichibu because of the sister city program but it'd be nice to see that those color schemes stand out much brighter, much more attractive I think are citywide. Yeah. And that's exactly the plan. The Huloon Park was done by a developer that actually has a lot of these wayfinding things to that's going to be similar to what these other parks look like. The the main monument sign that you see at Chichi Buu, it was a one-off, but that's basically the design that we're utilizing. We did the foundation. We have everything like that. Uh there'll be enhanced signage over at Chi-Chibu because it does just have that main sign. There'll be the wayfinding within it. Here's a tennis court, horseshoe pits, gazebo, that sort of stuff. Um, so yeah, what you what you see there will be fine. We're trying to expand on what the what what our branding did. You know, that was a few years ago and trying to just continue with that. This project has been sitting around for a little while, but trying to move forward.

So So we have a complete design standard that's been adopted, correct? That we're using for our parks and our wayfinding and all of that. Yes, sir. Correct. And then the whole park, did they not use the same one as Chichu? Did they do something different?

It's it's similar, but but they provided their design. They did that before we had actually installed any of this. What we were initially given by by the design consultant was just out of design. Uh it had a lot of stuff like an architectural design, but it didn't necessarily have the structural guts to it like a foundation to it. But the fellas at H that did the whole poon park um did install the wayfinding. It does it's very similar if not identical to what we have in our wayfinding thing. Um I I'll stop short of calling it a model because it was done by a developer. Once we put something out, then we can say, "Hey, that's what we want to model everything after." But moving forward, we're going to use the same the same design everywhere in the city. That's the goal.

Okay. And then also there's a the sign at the um entrance to the the reservoir there on Golf Course. The um we can redo that sign with the water fund also. So that one looks really bad and that would be nice to have that. Yeah, we'll look into that. If you notice, we replaced a couple of the signs like the entry sign into the under the water plant has been similar. We can take care of those smaller ones. So, I noticed we have like almost $3 million of roofs we're repairing next year. I mean, that's a that's a ton of money. Is that And I didn't see it on the previous CIP. Is that something just caught up with us this year on all four buildings?

Well, there new projects in there. They are they they they need work of some kind. There's going to be an investigation to make sure of what the extent of it is. Right now, they are new projects that we'd like to see added in. Um, but yeah, they're all getting old. Um, we've been doing roof. We did a bunch of the roast over at the water treatment plant over over time. You know what we just done at Nick Rodriguez over there. So, uh we have aging facilities. Okay. So, it's just that's a lot of money. Um on the on the brackish water project, it says 96 million and back in the body it says 116 million. So, just some number stuff. I'll get my comments on some on some of the stuff here. How's the um Ebicks project coming along? The tower out there on Walton?

It's going pretty good. So, the fellows at Ebicks originally said that they were fine with what we had out there in terms of providing power to them. Lately, they've talked and they said it's it's really not necessarily what they want. It's a direct burial line that comes across the street from the water treatment plant and can get dissed and actually damaged. Um, so, uh, a long time ago, we started engaging with PG& to bring power to the site. Um, we worked through the application. Uh we're now to the point that the city does have money as part of what we're doing to support them uh to bring power from Walton Lane through the parking lot and install a meter at the base of the hill. Um that is in the works right now. I'll be field meeting with PG& and it'll and and our staff that'll be actually doing the the construction within the next few weeks.

Okay. That's been going on for like 10 years. It's been going on for long. It's been going on for longer than that. But we're finally at a point where you know we can bring this in. bringing in the power would not only be good for them but also for us. It is our tank. It'll give us a much more consistent and dependable power source. Um and you know we have some conduit that goes up the hill. We should be able to do it rather economically helping out them as well as us you know at the same time. And under roadway you have traffic calming program 380 and then you have sycamore traffic calming 425 and then James Don's 865 and West 10th is 250. So is is West 10th and James Donland within one one or both of those or can we break them out so that they're all

there's four projects. One would be your neighbor one would be considered say your neighborhood traffic calming which would be what you get what when our residents uh reach out to us. They say have a have speeding or have an issue with traffic within my residence. It starts the project typically they're looking for speed bumps. That's what we'd call that. Those other three projects are just dependent on those three streets. Um the projects were designed. They went in front of council before everything was approved. Um I did not they did not get taken to our bicycle pedestrian advisory committee. I need to go through that process and then they'll go out to bid. Okay. I I was just saying that James Donland and West 10th aren't listed in the project in the project listing here. That's that's all.

So you know Sycamore's on here but there two aren't. I believe that I'm looking at getting sycamore done now. They're within the CIP, the James All and 10th Street are, but probably just out of it.

Okay. Um let's see quick. There's a um there's a lot of projects that are not um that are unfunded, right? There's a ton of unfunded projects. For example, the the replacing the the ball fields out, the soccer fields out on James Dan. So we show that as a project in this year's CIP, but then we show it as unfunded. So is it I mean are you expecting us to say move it to another date down the road so we don't have 2 million. Are you expecting us to say yeah we want to spend 2 million out of reserves or what's the idea?

So the the project have been there um we've done this many different ways throughout the years and sometimes we didn't show unfunded projects. If you don't have no any funds we're not putting in the CIP because it's not something that we're able to do. The other way is put in the unfunded because it helps you projects that you might want to do in the future and at least get them in the CIP. At this point, they're unfunded within this fiscal year or within 2027. I think the decision would be in my opinion from the council is either do we want to fund this, do we not want the project, or do we want to push the project out and maybe fund it in future years.

Okay. So, that's what you're looking for on these unfunded projects because there are several of them in the on the list. So, and we need to be a little bit careful because some of them are absolutely unfunded and some do have some funds to them. There's a possibility that some of those funds that that are could still be used for initial design or some stuff that could help with the project to get it off the ground.

Okay. And in in last year's CIP, there were some projects like the Puit Park um easement fencing, um Puit Park uh pool resurfacing 130, marina um marina upgrades 350, marina pedestals 200 irrigation controllers that um that don't show up don't show up in the CIP. So, I'm wondering if they fell out or if they just got excluded or and like I said, I'll give you my notes here of just stuff that I noticed, but um that was just a few projects that didn't didn't show up in

I would be happy to hear which ones some of them may have been completed and dropped out possibly. Some of them may not be necessary. Um I would I would be interested in knowing what project you're talking about, but most likely if they've been removed, they were completed. But let's let's talk. Uh, city council has also mentioned Carnegie Library as a possible project. So, I think it'd be good to put it in there to see I think it's like 85 or 100 grand to see if that's something we want to fund in this in this year's um CIP. When you say look at Carnegie Library, are you talking about bringing it up to like ADA accessibility and it'll be occupied?

Yeah, I mean that that was the idea, but it was something that's been talked about, but it needs to be formalized now at this point. What you know, how it's going to be funded to move forward. So, would you like to see that in this year's CIP? And how would you like me to budget that? Well, I think there was a cost estimate $75,000. But the whole idea was to do the interior exterior and there's been um meetings with with us and it's the cost figure is probably more around 200,000. Yeah. So, I think that's just something council needs to decide like when if we're going to do it this year, next year, but I think it needs to be on the list because it's something that um just just for us to nod and say, "Yeah, that's something we want to do."

Just for clarification, would you like me to in put in a $200,000 project for Carnegie Library as unfunded in fiscal year 27? Well, as a placeholder, sure. Yeah. Okay. Put it in as 27. Okay. Thank you. I would also like to see you put in as a placeholder and then council can decide a phase two of our uh street light project. You know, I'm excited about everything north of Highway 4, but I think we need to continue that project as a public safety um project. Yes. You want to talk

I'd like to clarify about that. It's not everything north of Highway 4. It's about 1,700 lights, but it goes from north of Highway 4, but the cut off is at Cavalo right now. We didn't have enough funding to get all the way out to the east, but it's from basically the west side all the way to Kavalo, Highway 4 to the river. How many lights do we have in the whole city? Do you know off hand? Oh, there's it's like 10,000. Yeah, I was going to say 9700.

So, so 1,700 is, you know, not not a huge not a huge part of it. So, we So, that's I think I think I'd like to see that project showing up so that we can consider continuing to fund it because I think it's something we want to pick away at. We absolutely can, but we were going based on what we had in the budget to try to initiate and get going, but we can absolutely extend. I mean, once the contractor gets going, it'd be nice to keep that project moving. Um, the the water park main slide, it's three 364 in the budget, but I've heard numbers more like one plus million dollars. So, uh, that's something I think we also need council needs to consider in the CIP, like what we want to do with that.

I think that would be a good idea. um whether or not it wants to be funded as a project, whether or not you want to fund some sort of study that can decide what we want to do with it or build it, that would probably be the best idea if you want my opinion. And then um Slatten Ranch Road, somebody me mentioned that why we didn't start over there by the BART station. You know, the funding came from all that residential um that um David on Homes built that we have the $12 million that set in the budget there. The project goes from the current extension up to Wild Horse, but it's unfund it's we only have 12 million. It's like a $35 million project. So I think we we have a project in with Ecrafa on that. Is that true?

So yeah, we have a project in with Ecrafa to do Slatten Ranch. It's actually in in two pieces. Um our ECRA projects are Sand Creek right now and and Slaten Ranch Road. Um, so there is a portion of that that would be considered unfunded. The way that at least it's presented, if you guys like that or not, would be to utilize that that East Loan Tree specific plan money as well as the ECUA money. And I believe I would have to take a look, but then you're short 810 million. So, so one of the ideas in the past was to phase it and do two lanes in the center median, you know, for now, and then when the developers come in, they could build the outside lane. So maybe we could look at ways to maximizing that to get it up to Wild Horse wherever wherever it can go.

I think that would be a great idea. First thing on my part is trying to get through the environmental get the design done because once we get the design bun then building it in phases becomes a lot easier especially with the ECRA funding could make it easy to open up for two lanes. Okay, I'm almost done everybody. Sorry. Um the bicycle garden that's that's getting going. Bicycle garden's getting going. Um, we're working around environmental issues out there and we're uh looking to do a geotechnical survey so that we can get going on like the structures and everything.

Okay, that's going to be a good project. And then uh yeah, the rest the rest of the stuff I'll just uh I'll just I'll just give you give you my notes, Scott. So, thank you. Thank you for your presentation tonight. It's been good information. Um, when we come back to these conversations, I would like to set some clear intentions about sharing all the information cuz I don't like feeling like information isn't being shared clearly and then and then we make a vote and then find out later like with the mixeduse development vote. Everybody who was up here thought it was going to be commercial and housing. And then it turned out that that's wasn't what it was. And now we kind of in this stuck state believing what we thought we voted on versus what we actually got because there was a gap in communication. I still feel like the same thing happened with the Second Street building where the communication sounded like it would still be the Department of Public Safety and Community Resource building, but other people would be housed there for the purpose of needing extra space. It was never communicated that, you know, clear. So, I just like hopefully when we come back to these conversations, if everything could just be frank and clear,

I'll take the comment as a city manager that has something to do with the um public works director. So, I hear you. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Are there any other um questions or comments on the CIP? All right. Thank you very much for that. And uh do I have a motion to adjurnn? So move. Have a motion from council member Torres Walker. Second. Second from Council Member Roachcha. Please cast your votes. Motion passes 5 Z. All right. Meetings adjourned at 858.