Title
Recommendation to Accept the Finalized 2018-2019 City Council Workplan. (City Manager 2110)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Elizabeth D. Warmerdam, Acting City Manager
Re: Recommendation to Accept the Finalized 2018-2019 City Council Workplan
BACKGROUND
On May 18, 2018, the Alameda City Council met for a day-long work session to a) discuss the 2018-2019 City Council Workplan (Workplan), including review of upcoming agenda items, and b) discuss the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 mid-cycle budget (Mid-Cycle Budget), budget adjustments and potential revenue measures. This meeting followed a strategic workshop convened on February 17, 2017, with the City Council and the City’s Executive Management Team to discuss the City Council’s vision, strategic initiatives, and priorities, which defined the Council’s Key City Strategies. At the May 18, 2018 meeting, a draft Workplan was presented that organized action items by the Council’s Key City Strategies. These focus areas include:
• Address Housing/Homelessness
• Mitigate Traffic Congestion (changed to Mitigate Traffic Congestion & Promote Transportation Safety)
• Take Action on Climate Change and Emergency Preparedness
• Improve Local Economy and Attract Jobs
• Maintain Safety & Quality of Life
• Plan for Fiscal and Organizational Stability; and
• Improve Public Infrastructure (new)
While infrastructure improvements had been embedded in the other focus areas, in the draft Workplan this new category was added, due to its importance and significant financial impact.
The May 18, 2018 work session was a public meeting held at the Alameda Free Library, in the Stafford Community Room. Throughout the day a dozen community members joined the discussion and provided public comment on various items. The following staff report provides a summary of the direction provided to City staff by the City Council regarding the Workplan and the resulting changes made to the document. An updated Workplan is attached as Exhibit 1.
The feedback provided by the City Council on the Mid-Cycle Budget at the May 18 work session is addressed as part of the recommendation to approve the Mid-Cycle Budget under a separate agenda item this evening. Additionally, further direction was sought and provided regarding a potential revenue measure for November 2018 and was discussed at the June 5 City Council meeting.
DISCUSSION
For each focus area in the Workplan, the City Council reviewed the proposed actions and provided feedback. Following the Workplan discussion, Council provided feedback on Mid-Cycle Budget requests and potential revenue measures, which are addressed under other agenda items, as described above.
During the discussion, the City Council made the following substantive changes to the Workplan:
• Add the minimum wage agenda item under the heading of “Addressing Housing and Homelessness” since this action will assist those struggling with housing and homelessness;
• Present City Council with consultant’s analysis and report on the Rent Stabilization Program in December;
• Change the Mitigate Traffic Congestion focus area to Mitigate Traffic Congestion & Promote Transportation Safety;
• Add the East Bay Regional Park District MOU at Alameda Point’s Northwest Territories to the “Take Action on Climate Change and Emergency Preparedness” focus area since this project will protect wetlands and help address climate change;
• Bring back a revised policy and Request for Proposals for License Plate Readers. This can be done prior to the City Council addressing the referral to adopt Sanctuary City contracting and investment ordinance;
• Present to Council amendments to the City’s Cannabis Ordinance based on issues that have been raised since the release of the RFP and changes to the law;
• Add entering into a Sister City MOU with Varazze, Italy to the workplan for 2019;
• Include the potential for Electric Vehicle charging stations in upcoming relevant plans including the Climate Action Plan; and
• Revisit the Fiscal Neutrality policy at Alameda Point.
These changes, along with additional changes based on staff’s latest review, are reflected in an updated Workplan (Exhibit 1). The Workplan is a living document, with actions and estimated dates regularly changing based on workload and a variety of other factors.
Additional comments from the City Council on the Workplan included:
• Use the City’s Legislative Agenda to support relief for renters;
• Encourage more people to ride the City shuttle. Ask residents if there are other places the shuttle should go? Make clear this is not a commuter shuttle, but encourage maximum ridership;
• Invest in a video broadcasting system at the Main Library that would allow off-site City Council meetings to be televised and recorded;
• Provide regular updates regarding Alameda Municipal Power and their work;
• Explore new state mandates for adding solar to all new homes;
• Identify grants for mobile solar charging stations at Alameda parking lots;
• When staff returns to Council in October with the Bird Safe buildings ordinance, include information about whether this will increase costs or approvals for housing;
• Provide updates on flight path and noise from Oakland International Airport; and
• When staff returns with a vacation rental ordinance, consider limiting the number of licenses and nights a property can be rented for, and review the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) rate to ensure it is competitive with other communities.
A Priority Setting Work Session will be scheduled in early 2019 in anticipation of the two-year budget cycle to modify and/or confirm the City Council’s current Key City Strategies.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
There is no financial impact from accepting the 2018/2019 City Council Workplan.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
There is no impact on the Municipal Code from the 2018/2019 City Council Workplan.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This item is for information only. This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to section 15061 (b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines.
RECOMMENDATION
Accept the finalized 2018-2019 City Council workplan.
Respectfully submitted,
Sarah Henry, Public Information Officer
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Elena Adair, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. City Council Workplan