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DATE:
TO:
FROM:
STAFF REPORT
CITY COUNCIL
CITY CLERK
File #330-10
March 3, 2012
Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
~~
Joni Pattillo, City Manager ° ~'
SUBJECT: Community Fiscal Strategy Forums and Developing Long-Term Fiscal
sustainability
Prepared by Amy Cunningham, Budget Manager/Assistant to the City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This report provides information about the recent Community Fiscal Strategy Forums and
developing long-term fiscal sustainability.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
None at this time.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive the report and presentation.
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Submitted By Reviewed By
Budget Manager/ Assistant City Manager
Assistant to the City Manager
DESCRIPTION:
This report provides information about the recent Community Fiscal Strategy Forums and the
City's efforts to continue to develop long-term fiscal sustainability. The City Council has
identified long-term fiscal sustainability as critical to the future delivery of quality community
services. As the City continues to grow and develop, the demand for city services is expected
to increase. It is essential to ensure that there are adequate resources available to provide core
services in the future.
On a local and national level, many economists believe that the country's financial outlook is
beginning to stabilize. While many financial pressures have begun to ease, the City's need to
remain fiscally prudent has not diminished. Although Dublin is in a better fiscal condition than
many cities in California, anticipated community growth in the coming years is expected to
continue to put a strain on the City's financial resources. The additional community growth will
be reflected in a demand on and for additional City facilities (parks, streets, etc.) as well as
Page 1 of 8 ITEM NO. 8.3
additional services. An investment in planning for our future growth now will ensure that the City
is positioned to deliver the future services the community expects.
Community Fiscal Strategy Forums
Communication and community engagement are cornerstones of the City Council's 10-Year
Strategic Plan. The recent Community Fiscal Strategy Forums are just one of a number of
measures Staff has actively been working on to increase communication between residents,
businesses and the City.
This past summer, the City Council directed Staff to continue with community outreach efforts
around the City's budget and long-term fiscal sustainability efforts. In keeping with this direction,
the City hosted a series of forums to engage the community in a discussion about the City's
fiscal priorities and communication preferences. Those meetings were designed to provide
community members with an opportunity to share their thoughts about how the City is doing, to
talk about which City activities and/or services they value most, and to identify future fiscal
priorities. The intended outcome was to use the information gleaned from the forums to guide
future discussions on the City's overall strategic direction and the City's ongoing long-term fiscal
sustainability planning efforts.
Staff mailed over 500 invitations to residents and community members, community
organizations, schools and school groups, faith-based organizations, and businesses (including
home-based business owners), requesting participation in the forums. To increase participation,
organizations were asked to appoint up to three members of their group to attend a forum.
Information about the opportunity to participate in the forums was posted on the City's website,
and numerous emails and telephone calls were sent as follow up to the initial invitations asking
for participation.
In late January and early February 2012, a series of five Community Fiscal Strategy Forums
were held at various times and locations throughout the City. Using the facilitation assistance of
consultant Sherry Lund, and a budget category prioritization exercise, community members
shared their thoughts about what City services they valued most in times of revenue increases
and revenue shortfalls.
Prior to each forum, attendees were emailed a background document (Attachment 1) that
provided information about the City's finances and defined the budget categories that they
would be asked to consider. At the forums, the City Manager provided attendees with additional
background information about the City's financial condition and shared the City Council's desire
to ensure long-term fiscal sustainability. Several pieces of information about the City, including
the background document previously emailed, were available as reference for participants.
After the City Manager's financial overview, attendees were given time to share their thoughts in
small groups about how they would allocate resources among the budget categories in times of
revenue increase and revenue shortfall. Attendees were next asked to identify their personal
priorities by placing three dots on identified budget categories in each revenue scenario. The
fifteen budget categories were printed on large posters and displayed on walls around the room,
one set of posters for revenue increase categories and one set for revenue shortfall categories.
This format allowed everyone in attendance to observe the full group's preferences. Finally,
attendees discussed their thoughts about their individual preferences with the larger group. Ms.
Lund encouraged sharing and participation by highlighting the similarities and differences of
Page 2 of 8
votes among the budget categories. City Staff were available during each session to answer
specific questions and provide additional information when needed.
A summary of the forum outcomes, including a visual representation of participant priorities by
budget area, is attached for reference (Attachments 2 and 3). Overall, feedback from the
forums confirmed that the City's current fiscal focus and identified priorities are supported by the
community. Attendees favored the City Council's long-standing pay-as-you go philosophy for
new City services and projects. Consensus among the groups was that they support added
services or projects when they can be operated and maintained to the existing standard of
quality provided in other City service areas. The majority of residents explicitly expressed
satisfaction with the quality of services the City currently provides and would support efforts to
maintain the current levels of service.
Recurring themes based upon the revenue increase and revenue shortfall scenarios are
outlined in the summary document. There were very few specific requests for changes to
service levels: a few participants expressed interest in adding back hours at the library; many
discussed adding basic City services such as police and fire as the population increases; a
number of comments were made about further mobilizing the community volunteer base to
maintain programs (primarily cultural arts); and several were interested in adding to the existing
reserves as additional revenue is available.
Finally, attendees were asked to complete a forum evaluation form. In addition to asking for
feedback about their experiences during the session, the evaluation asked attendees to assist
Staff in enhancing outreach efforts by identifying their preferred methods of future
communication. This feedback confirmed that outreach efforts are currently being focused in
the correct areas (website, email, standard postal mail). Further, based on participant
responses in the area of preferred communication methods, Staff is proposing the addition of
one newsletter to the budget, for a total of two published newsletters annually. This item is
included as a Key Budget Initiative for Fiscal Year 2012-2013 and 2013-2014.
To attain additional background information about forum participants and better understand their
priorities, the evaluation forum also asked attendees to identify whether they live or work in
Dublin, how long they have lived or worked in Dublin and their age range. This information has
been useful in understanding the feedback received from forum attendees. The information has
also been helpful in identifying those areas of the community where further outreach could be
useful. Overwhelmingly, former Dublin 101/Inside Dublin students formed the largest participant
group demonstrating the effectiveness of this venue in building on the existing foundation of
active, informed and engaged residents.
A total of 51 people participated in the five sessions; the majority of participants have lived or
worked in Dublin for 10 years or more, live or work west of Dougherty Road and are in the 45-64
age category. To gain more participation in future City activities and reached an untapped
community base, outreach efforts should be focused on those who have been in the community
less than 10 years, live or work east of Dougherty Road, and are in the 25-44 age range.
Many attendees stayed after each session with questions about what was happening in the City,
the status of various development projects, how specific services are delivered, and how
projects and services are funded. Several expressed their thanks for the opportunity to
participate and share their thoughts and opinions. They also expressed a desire to be further
involved in City and community-based activities.
Page 3 of 8
The following is a sampling of the feedback received from the evaluation forms. These excerpts
are representative of the comments attendees provided in response to the forums.
Attendee Feedback (from Evaluation Forms)
The best aspects of the forum were:
• "Communication really helped me in understanding where we stand as far as
concerns/issues that are challenging our City."
• "Being able to share our diverse ideas on how to budget our General Fund monies.
Establishing priorities. "
• "The best aspects were the discussion groups and listening to everyone's perspectives
and ideas."
• "It was open and collaborative."
• "Wonderful discussion about what we all value in Dublin."
• "Having the opportunity to express an opinion that will actually be considered."
Future forums could be improved by:
• "Add a "revenue increase" category to "Save $ for Future City Needs."
• "Need more time to discuss options."
• "More time for prep and Q&A."
• "Follow up of decisions made by City Council."
• "Getting more people to attend."
• "Continue great sharing."
Please share your overall comments about the forum experience today:
• "Love that our City Council, City Manager, & Staff are taking pro-active actions to keep
our beautiful city smoothly running, fiscally responsible, all while making this a wonderful
place to live. "
• "This is an excellent forum, learning and educating myself about the community and the
different programs of Dublin."
• "Well done. Thank you for providing a good space to talk honestly."
• "This is an interesting process. The City residents and Staff clearly care about their
community and 1 feel that this level of concern and participation will help to make the best
budget decisions."
• "Great experience, should do more often."
• "Good group of people from across the city."
• "The City has to take these suggestions and implement them to serve the community
better"
• "Liked the casual atmosphere."
• "1 learned a lot more about our budget!"
Are there additional comments or feedback that you would like to share related to the City's
fiscal strategy and priorities? Do you have suggestions about other ways the City can further
enhance communication with the community?
• "1'm very happy about the City's care for its citizens, its financial stability and its future
proposals. Good job, Dublin!"
• "True diversity of our City not represented."
• "Listen to and apply the common sense feedback that you received, as I'm sure you will."
Page 4 of 8
• "1 am very happy that the City has no debt and has funded improvements only as they
have the money."
• "Quality of life and long-term focus."
• "Continue to look for outside revenue sources to help with specific projects."
• "Do not overspend. If you do not have it, you cannot spend it."
• "1 like the way the City has moved financially and the pay as you go strategy."
• "From a fiscal standpoint, stay conservative. The process of living within our means has
kept the City moving forward even during difficult times."
As part of the continued forum outreach, attendees were emailed a letter thanking them for their
participation. The letter included a link to the City webpage where attendees were able to view
a written summary of their forum and photos of their budget category priorities. Attendees were
also provided with the Budget Study Session dates and will be provided with a link to each
agenda packet as it is available. This is one additional way interested attendees can continue to
track how their input is used in this year's budget process.
Developing Long-Term Fiscal sustainability
Long-term fiscal sustainability has been a foundational civic value for current and past City
Councils. The importance of ensuring that resources are available to provide services to future
generations has been a theme of the City Council's fiscal decision-making, beginning with their
pay-as-you-go philosophy.
City Staff have been focusing on creating processes and systems that support the City Council's
values in this area. The Government Finance Officers Association lists several factors that are
essential to long-term fiscal planning. City Staff are actively addressing several of these
recommended actions listed below as part of the continued efforts to develop fiscal
sustainability.
• Creating a structurally balanced budget
• Defining uses for one-time resources
• Updating user fees and charges
• Projecting infrastructure maintenance needs
• Establishing levels and uses of financial reserves
The goal of providing the following revenue and expenditure information is to assist the City
Council in developing structurally balanced budgets in the future. General information about
fiscal trends is outlined to further focus the City's long-term fiscal sustainability planning efforts
and budgetary decision making. The information is intended to be general in nature as more
specific information will be available at the April 18, 2012 Budget Study Session.
Expenditures
Staff has been instructed to prepare the upcoming two-year operating budget with no increases
in areas other than utilities and postage. Employee costs are also anticipated to increase based
upon the existing agreement for salary adjustments and benefit costs. Ongoing consideration is
given to identifying ways to streamline programs and services to better meet the changing
needs of the community. Program consolidation, cost containment and cost saving measures,
and other actions that sustain flexibility in adjusting service levels based on service demands
are continually being discovered. A strategic and fiscally prudent approach to efficient and
quality service delivery remains the goal when seeking ways to reduce expenditures.
Page 5 of 8
Utilities
Based on historical trends the following assumptions are applied to utility costs for the next two
years. These increases apply to existing utilities which are budgeted at $1.5 million (General
Fund) for FY 11-12.
FY 2012-2013 2013-2014
Telephone +5% +5%
Electric +4% +4%
Water +15% +15%
Public Safety
Police -While cost containment measures have been put into place for Dublin Police Services,
costs in this area are still expected to rise. The City is contractually obligated to pay actual
costs for police personnel services, meaning that if through contract negotiations the Deputy
Sheriff's Association (DSA) receives a salary or benefit increase that cost is passed along to the
City. The current DSA contract placed a freeze on salaries for three years, and that freeze is
set to expire in July 2012. The current salary adjustment is unknown.
Further, based on population growth and Police work load indicators, it is anticipated that
additional staffing could be required to meet the community's service demands.
Fire -The existing Fire Services contract expires on June 30, 2012 and Staff is currently under
negotiations for a new contract with Alameda County Fire Department. Staff is actively seeking
ways to contain current and future costs associated with this contract.
Tri-Valley Community Television (TV30)
Beginning in Fiscal Year 2012-2013 TV30 will be making an annual General Fund request to
cover operational expenses. This is the result of state legislative changes which prevent the
use of Public Education Governmental Funds (PEG) for operational purposes. TV30 has
established a fundraising foundation and has afive-year plan to reduce the General Fund
request by 10% each year beginning in Fiscal Year 2013-2014. The Fiscal Year 2012-2013
General Fund request from TV30 is $70,000 which is the City's proportional share of that
organization's overall budget totaling $408,402.
Capital Improvement Projects (CIP)
5 Year Outlook for Ongoing Operations /Maintenance
The following information outlines estimated costs that does not include any cost escalators for
known new Parks (Positano Hills Park, Passatempo Park, and Schaefer Ranch Park) Streets
and Facilities that will generate ongoing operating and maintenance costs in the five year CIP
timeframe:
Page 6 of 8
FY 2012-
2013 FY 2013-
2014 FY 2014-
2015 FY 2015-
2016 FY 2016-
2017
Parks $25, 000 $330, 000 $330, 000 $330, 000 $330, 000
Streets $61, 300 $63, 300 $67, 300 $67, 300 $67, 300
Facilities $116,700 $116,700 $116,700 $116,700 $116,700
Total $203,000 $510,000 $514,000 $514,000 $514,000
Fire Retiree Obligations /Public Employee Retirement System
The City of Dublin recognizes that there are existing and future obligations for employee
retirement costs. There are currently reserves set-aside to pay for the Fire Retiree Obligations,
and Staff will bring this matter forward for City Council consideration in the near future.
Regarding the public employee retirement costs, City employees currently pay the entire
employee retirement share; and Staff will continue to work to help reduce the City's obligations
in this area in the future.
Revenues
The two primary General Fund revenue sources for the City are Sales Tax and Property Tax.
Information about anticipated trends in each of these categories is provided below. While there
has been good news related to revenue receipts over the past year, the upward trend is not
expected to continue at its current rate. New ongoing revenue not currently expected to offset
the anticipated growth in expenses in the next several years.
Sales Tax -Revenue in this area is expected to rise in the coming year and then level out.
While there has been a slow and steady increase in the City's Sales Tax revenue since 2009,
receipts are still not expected to rise to the highs of a few years ago.
Beacon Economics provides detailed analytic information about sales tax and economic drivers
on a quarterly basis. Information from December 2011 indicates that many of the sales tax
categories are up from the prior years. Autos/transportation categories are continuing to show a
strong increase, anticipated to be up 6% for FY 2012-2013. Other categories are forecast to
rise from 2.5%-3.5% (Building/construction, General Consumer Goods, Restaurants/hotels, etc.)
with the exception of Fuel/service stations. This category is forecast to have zero growth in the
coming year primarily due to rising energy costs.
The latest information from HdL Companies shows adjusted quarter to quarter (July to
September 2011) sales tax receipts are up 8.6%, the seventh consecutive quarter of gain since
the beginning of the recovery. They also note that there is agreement among analysts that "the
pace of growth will slow for 2012-2013 with the only disagreement being over the degree of
slowdown." HdL goes on to note that state budget cuts, high unemployment, further declines in
home values and unstable fuel prices foster continued uncertainty. While this quarter brought
good news on the sales tax front, caution is still needed.
Property Tax
Revenue in this area is expected to realize little growth. As noted in the Mid-Year Budget
Report, there is some good news on the horizon as anticipated Property Tax penalties are
beginning to trend downward. This is a sign that more homeowners are able to pay their
property taxes on time. However, there are still a large number of residential and corporate
Page 7 of 8
property tax appeals pending with the Assessor's Office that will have a future impact on
property tax revenues.
Beacon Economics states that home prices have likely hit bottom, but are not anticipated to rise
at a fast rate. They anticipate less than 2% growth over the next few years. This increase is
expected to be offset by the pending corporate property tax appeals.
Future budgets should continue to remain reflective of the City Council's values. Allocating
resources to top priorities through application of the Strategic Plan priorities ensures that the
City Council's vision of the community's future is successfully achieved. Recent actions such as
transitioning to a budget initiative process based on the Strategic Plan; and implementation of a
two-year budget to provide alonger-term view of revenue and expenditure trends when funding
decisions are an essential foundation to support these efforts.
This report serves as an informational foundation as the City Council provides Staff with budget
direction and considers key budget initiatives for Fiscal Years 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 in
preparation for the Budget Study Session on March 3, 2012.
NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH:
Copy of report provided to Community Fiscal Strategy Forum Participants.
ATTACHMENTS: 1. Forum Background Information
2. Forum Budget Category Results -Summary
3. Summary of Fiscal Strategy Forums - S. Lund
Page 8 of 8
CITY OF
DUBLIN
ELEBILATING 30 y
1982 2072
~a~
COMMUNITY FISCAL STRATEGY FORUMS
Overview Focus
A cornerstone of the City Council's Strategic Plan is
increasing communication and engagement between
residents, businesses and the City. The Community Fiscal
Strategy Forums are one of several efforts the City is
undertaking related to this strategic initiative. Long-term
fiscal sustainability is critical to the future delivery of
quality community services.
Fund revenue is generated from a variety of sources,
primarily Property Tax and Sales Tax, but also includes
activities such as charges for city services, licenses and
permits, and fines. Unlike the other funding sources, the
General Fund has fewer specific spending restrictions
and can be used for a variety of services such as Police,
Fire and Parks.
The City's budget is a planning tool to accomplish the
delivery of services within the community. The community's
values are represented by how and where dollars are
spent. As we continue to move our fiscal sustainability
efforts forward, we want to hear your thoughts about what
city services are priorities in times of revenue increases
and revenue shortfalls.
For Fiscal Year 201 1-2012, the City of Dublin adopted
budget is approximately $70 million. Approximately
$56 million is allocated to the operating budget and
the remaining $14 million is allocated to the Capital
Improvement Program. Of the approximately 50 different
funds, $49 million is from the General Fund. General
Operating Budget
Funding Sources $56 million
1-''`~-
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^ General Fund ^ Other Funds
Approximately 87% of the City's $56 million Operating
Budget is supported by the General Fund; approximately
46% of the Operating Budget ($26 million) is dedicated
to Public Safety, with other operating areas falling
below 15% each. Approximately 17% of the City's $14
million Capital Improvement Program is supported by the
General Fund; the majority of General Fund support is
dedicated to the General Improvement category for one-
time expenditures such as the Civic Center Generator
replacement project. Charts showing the Adopted Fiscal
Year 2011-2012 total expenditure breakdown for the
Operating Budget and Capital Improvement Program are
shown below:
Operating Budget
All Funds $56 million
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jl~ General Government ^ Public Safety
Transportation ~ Health & Welfare
~, Culture & Leisure Services ,Community Development
As the City continues to grow and develop, the
demand for city services is expected to increase.
In the near future, there is an anticipated gap
between the annual general fund revenues
received and anticipated costto provide expected
services; this condition is commonly called a
"structural gap". There are many external factors
that impact the management of General Fund
revenue. During the past three years, the declining
economy, in combination with State of California
budget impacts, has adversely affected the City's
General Fund condition. During this time, the
decline in General Fund revenue, in addition to
rising costs for the provision of city services, has
resulted in some service reductions. For instance
the frequency of street sweeping was reduced,
routine park maintenance services were reduced
and contract and city positions were eliminated.
The City has focused on targeting reductions that
minimize the impact of direct service delivery
to the community and purposefully funded
projects that will result in long-term cost savings
or otherwise preserve infrastructure. As a result
of continued development, the City has been
fortunate to receive "one-time" development
related funding that has supported many "one-
time" expenses, such as Capital Improvement
Projects. This practice has reduced reliance on
one-time funding to support ongoing services.
Aside from enacting a number of budget
reductions during the recent economic decline,
several additional efforts have been undertaken
in recent years to contain costs and position
the City to be more flexible in adjusting service
levels based on future demand. The City Council
has moved to a budget initiative process that is
focused on achieving the Strategic vision outlined
in the Adopted 10-Year Strategic Plan. Examples
of adopted Strategies include: fostering economic
development opportunities; strengthening the
identity and aesthetic appeal of the downtown;
supporting environmental sustainability;
developing dynamic and unique community
recreational and cultural opportunities; and
expanding city-wide communication and
outreach programs. As a complement to the
new strategic initiative process, the City will
undertake atwo-year budget cycle for the first
time beginning with Fiscal Years 2012-2013
and 2013-2014. This change provides alonger-
term view of revenue and expenditure conditions
when funding decisions are made.
Capital Improvement Program
Funding Sources $14 million
^ General Fund ^ Other Funds
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Capital Improvement Program by Area
All Funds $14 million
^ General ®Community Improvements Parks ^ Streets
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essential (have to doh; important (should doh; and discretionary (nice to
doh. This prioritization process has been used when evaluating further
service level changes. Other efforts to position the City for long-term
sustainability include the continued contracting of certain services, such
as plan checking and inspections, which provides flexibility in adjusting
service levels as development related activities fluctuate. Many of the
City's contract services, such as police and public works, have been
renegotiated to contain costs over the long-term. Finally, ongoing efforts
to invest in the City's Internal Service Funds have been strengthened to
ensure that there is adequate funding to replace major equipment and
technology infrastructure in the future.
We want to continue to strategically position ourselves to ensure that
quality services can be provided into the future. The information you share
during these forums will be used to shape future discussions about how
best to achieve long-term fiscal sustainability. Our goal is to capture your
thoughts about spending priorities and use that information as a factor in
determining our long-term fiscal strategy.
Outcomes from the Community Fiscal Strategy Forum you attended, along
with outcomes from the other forums, will be posted on the City website.
This year the City Council will hold two Budget Study Sessions: Saturday,
March 3, 2012 at 9:00 A.M. and Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 6:00
P.M. Final funding decisions for Fiscal Year 2012-2013 and 2013-2014
will be made at the Budget Hearing on Tuesday, June 19, 201 2 at 5:30
P.M. You are invited to attend these public meetings to hear more about
the upcoming two-year budget initiatives and how your information will be
used in discussions about our community's long-term fiscal sustainability.
A core services study was recently completed If you are interested in viewing more detailed budget and financial
that prioritized city services into three categories: information, please visit the City website: www.dublin.ca.gov.
Budget Categories-Focus on General Fund
The budget categories you will be asked to prioritize are defined below. These categories represent primarily general fund supported
activities and those activities that will have along-term impact on general fund availability
Streets Maintenance-This category includes maintenance
activities for city streets in areas such as traffic signals and street
light maintenance; street repairs; drainage system maintenance;
storm clean up services; gutter and sidewalk repair; sign
repair; striping and marking; guardrail repair; weed control
and bike rack maintenance; street sweeping; street landscape
maintenance; street tree maintenance; slurry seal and overlay.
# Parks Maintenance-This category includes maintenance
activities for city parks, open space and grounds associated
with recreational facilities such as Emerald Glen Park, Fallon
Sports Park, Heritage Parks and Museums, Kolb Park, Bray
Commons and Alamo Creek Park. Examples of maintenance
services include: turf care, irrigation and drainage maintenance,
weed control, tree and shrub maintenance, litter pick-up, park
equipment maintenance and parking lot sweeping.
Facilities Maintenance-Thiscategory includes maintenance
activities for city facilities such as the Dublin Senior Center,
Dublin Swim Center, Stager Community Gymnasium, Shannon
Center, Library and Civic Center. Examples of maintenance
services include: janitorial services, window cleaning, facility
systems maintenance (HVAC, electrical, etc., painting and
other services necessary to clean and maintain facilities.
Parks Development-This category includes activities
P
associated with planned expansion of existing parks and
construction of future neighborhood parks, such as future
phases on Fallon Sports Park, Emerald Glen Park, Schaefer
Ranch Neighborhood Park. The City is required to build new
parks to keep pace with the growing population. Many of these
activities are supported through Public Facility Fees rather than
the General Fund; however future ongoing park maintenance
costs would be General Fund supported.
Facilities Development-This category includes activities
associated with planned expansion of existing facilities and
construction of future facilities such as Dublin Library facility
expansion, maintenance yard, and aquatics facilities. The City
is required to build new facilities to keep pace with the growing
population. Many of these activities are supported through
Public Facility Fees rather than the General Fund; however
future ongoing facility maintenance costs would be General
Fund supported.
Police-This category includes Police Services related activities
such as patrol services, criminal investigation, crime prevention,
traffic enforcement, K-9 Unit, School Resource Officers and
dispatch services. The City elects to provide Police Services
through a contract with Alameda County Sheriff's Office; some
administrative functions such as payroll processing and human
resource functions are completed under contract by the County.
Fire-This category includes Fire Services related activities
such as fire suppression, first responder/paramedic services,
fire investigations, fire prevention, building plan check and
inspection services. The City elects to provide Fire Services
through a contract with Alameda County Fire Department; some
administrative functions such as payroll processing and human
resource functions are completed under contract by the County.
Disaster Preparedness-This category includes activities
related to city-wide emergency and disaster response
coordination, public information outreach, and neighborhood
preparedness services.
Library Services-This category includes services provided at
the Dublin Library such as book and DVD loan programs, online
database and Internet services, children's story programs, a
Homework Center (grades 3-8~, and book discussion groups.
Library services are a contract with Alameda County Library;
the City provides supplemental funding to provide for additional
hours of service. Currently the Dublin Library is open 45 hours
per week; the County funds 28 operating hours and the City
funds 1 7 operating hours per week.
Heritage and Cultural Arts Programs-This category
includes activities related to heritage and cultural arts
programming for the Dublin community. Activities include
Heritage Center Programs, museum activities at Murray
Schoolhouse and Kolb Main House, music jams, cultural arts
classes and camps, theater events, holiday events, community
events and festivals, Family Movie Nights, and the St. Patrick's
Day festival. Many of these programs are cost neutral.
~ Recreational Programs-This category includes activities
related to recreational programming for the Dublin community.
Activities include family activities (camp outsj, recreation
programs (youth camps, preschool programs, teen programs,
sports programs, and aquatics programs. Many of these
programs are cost neutral.
Senior Programs-This category includes activities related
to senior programming for the Dublin community. Activities
include the healthy lunch program; recreational programming
such as creative arts, fitness and healthy living; games, music
and dance; reading, writing and computing; sports; travel
opportunities; and events such as a senior health fair.
Environmental Programs-This category includes activities
related to compliance with legal mandates in the areas of Clean
Water, source reduction/recycling, green building, land use,
smoking and other environmental laws. Activities include
management of the garbage services contract; environmental
education programs for schools, residents and businesses; and
implementation of energy efficiency programs that result in
long-term cost savings.
Social Services-This category includes activities related to
City financial support for local organizations providing social,
medical, educational and other services to the Dublin community.
General Fund support is awarded through a competitive grant
process.
Economic Development-This category includes activities
related to enhancing and maintaining the City's economic base
through programs and projects that focus on business attraction,
expansion and retention. Examples include development
and distribution of business marketing materials, outreach to
businesses, execution of the Business Recognition Program and
the Farmer's Market program.
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Dublin, CA 94568
email: cityofdublin@dublin.ca.gov
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Dublin
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DUBLIN
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COMMUNITY FISCAL STRATEGY FORUM
-REVENUE INCREASE-
Economic Environmental Disaster Fire Police
Development Programs Preparedness
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DUBLIN
COMMUNITY FISCAL STRATEGY FORUM
-REVENUE INCREASE-
Library Ser vices Cultural Arts Recreation Senior Programs Social Services
Programs Programs
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DUBLIN
~-~
COMMUNITY FISCAL STRATEGY FORUM
-REVENUE INCREASE-
Sheets Parks Facilites Parks Facilities
Maintenance Maintenance Maintenance Development Development
® ®
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DUBLIN
~~~
COMMUNITY FISCAL STRATEGY FORUM
-REVENUE SHORTFALL-
Economic Environmental Disaster Fire Police
Development Programs Preparedness
DUBLIN
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COMMUNITY FISCAL STRATEGY FORUM
-REVENUE SHORTFALL-
Library Services Cultural Arts Recreation Senior Programs Social Services
Programs Programs
DUBLIN
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COMMUNITY FISCAL STRATEGY FORUM
-REVENUE SHORTFALL-
Sheets Parks Facilifies Parks F acilifies
Maintenance Maintenance Maintenance Development Development
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Summary of Fiscal Strategy Forums
February 12, 2012
This summary describes the results of five Fiscal Strategy Forums that were held in late January
and early February, 2012. Each forum was attended by a diverse group of residents - by age,
ethnicity, length of residency, and a few people who work in Dublin, but who are not residents.
Some attendees represented organizations like the Chamber of Commerce, the School District,
etc., and some represented themselves. A number of attendees in each session were former
Dublin 101 graduates.
Looking at attendance overall, of the 51 participants, the highest number of attendees were
residents who have lived in Dublin for more than 10 years, who live west of Dougherty Road,
and who were 45 years or older. See the demographic information that follows. Note that not all
attendees completed this information.
Demo~ra~hic Information
have lived in Dublin for: I have worked in Dublin for:
0-5 years 5 0-5 years 8
5-10 years 5 5-10 years 4
More than 10 years 33 More than 10 years 8
Not Applicable - Not Applicable -
live or work: l~l~° ale is:
East of Dougherty Road 11 Under 24 years 0
West of Dougherty Road 29 25-44 years 8
Not Applicable - 45-64 years 22
65+ years 17
Joni Pattillo, City Manager, provided an overview of Dublin's fiscal status in order to provide
context for thinking about the City's budget.
Each attendee was given time in a small group to share and discuss two key questions:
1. If extra money became available to the City, e.g., through continued economic
improvement, what are the three areas where you would make additional investments and
why?
2. If the City's general fund revenues were to decrease, e.g., through a decline in the
economy, what are the three areas where you would decrease budget dollars and why?
Page 1 of 4
This discussion allowed each person to share his/her preliminary thinking with others as well as
to listen to that of others and possibly be influenced by other points of view. A few Dublin City
department heads were available at each session to answer questions in the small groups as
needed.
At the end of the small group sharing, each session participant was asked to place three green
dots where they would make investments if additional City funds became available. The
summary chart that follows indicates where dots were placed.
Revenue Increase -Summary
Economic Environmental Disaster
Fire Police
Uevelo ~ment Programs Pre ~aredness
21 4 9 5 8
Librar~~
Services Cultural Arts
Programs Recreation
Programs Senior
Programs Social
Services
16 4 11 10 5
Streets
I~laintenance Parla
I~laintenance Facilities
I~laintenance Parla
Uevelo ~ment Facilities
Uevelo ~ment
12 11 13 0 7
Each session participant was asked to place three dots where they would make budget
reductions if there was a shortfall in City funds. The following chart indicates where dots were
placed. Please note that not all attendees chose to place all three of his~'her dots.
Revenue Shortfall -Summary
Economic
Uevelo ~ment Environmental
Programs Disaster
Pre ~aredness Fire Police
7 15 0 2 4
Librar~~
Services Cultural Arts
Programs Recreation
Programs Senior
Programs Social
Services
9 27 6 11 9
Streets
I~laintenance Parla
I~laintenance Facilities
I~laintenance Parla
Uevelo ~ment Facilities
Uevelo ~ment
6 0 2 21 26
It should be noted that these are small numbers in proportion to the community so comments are not
intended to be representative of the entire community.
The greatest number of votes for malting investments were (in order of Most to Least votes):
Page 2 of 4
^ Economic Development (21)
^ Library Services (16)
^ Streets Maintenance (13)
^ Facilities Maintenance (12)
^ Parks Maintenance and Recreation Programs (tied at 11)
^ Senior Programs (10)
The greatest number of votes for reducing budget dollars were (in order of Most to Least votes):
^ Cultural Arts Programs (27)
^ Facilities Development (26)
^ Parks Development (21)
^ Environmental Programs (15)
^ Senior Programs (11)
^ Library Services and Social Services (tied at 9)
Whole group discussion/debrief followed the placement of dots to better understand the reasoning
behind each vote. A number of common themes emerged from these discussions when viewed
across all five forums:
^ A strong appreciation that Dublin is run in a fiscally conservative manner.
^ Resonance with Council and Staff s practice of not creating new parks or facilities without
a plan for funding maintenance and operations.
^ High levels of satisfaction with City facilities, programs, safety, and management overall.
Most attendees felt that there was a very good balance of City features, facilities, and
programs that made for a good quality of life for all ages.
^ Strong support for maintaining facilities and parks. These were seen as essential to the
overall look and feel of the City. There were few votes to divert money from these areas.
^ Satisfaction with the number and distribution of parks across the City.
^ The view that Economic Development is a good investment in the economic engine for the
City and ultimately produces a healthy revenue stream.
^ An appreciation for recreation programs that provide good health and connections to the
community for residents.
^ A general appreciation for the broad range services that the library provides to thousands
of users and the desire to increase hours as money became available. Most (not all) of
those who voted to decrease funding wanted to see more of a technology emphasis in
order to better leverage services to children, youth, and adults, while increasing cost-
effectiveness.
^ The perception that Dublin is a safe community. Desires to increase Fire or Police Services
were largely tied to providing proportional services to a growing community. Desires to
decrease Police or Fire Services were largely due to the feeling of safety that is here now.
^ Value for and enjoyment of Cultural Arts programs, but the feeling that these are "nice to
have" vs. "essential" features of the community. Many thought that volunteers could help
sustain the Heritage Park activities and other cultural arts programs.
^ Belief that Environmental Programs can be decreased in difficult economic times. A
number of people saw these as something that could be ratcheted down when funds are
limited.
Page 3 of 4
The highest level of disagreement occurred with regard to Senior Programs. Almost as many
people voted to increase funding to those programs as voted to decrease funding. However, the
reasons for these choices are important. No one wanted to do away with Senior Programs; most
highly valued the Senior Center and related services. The major rationale for decreasing funding
was the opinion that fees for programs and classes for seniors, particularly non-resident fees, could
be increased to offset budget reductions. There were also suggestions to increase volunteer
support for Senior Programs.
One important additional question that was asked of attendees was how the City can stay in touch
with residents. This is a significant challenge, as the City continues to try to stay connected with
citizens and City workers who lead busy and complex lives. The responses are shown in the
following chart:
Preferred Means of Communication From the City
Standard Postal Mail 22
Telephone 12
Emails (subscriptions on the City's website -
Notification, NewsFlash and Calendar tools) 42
Text Messages (subscriptions on the City's website -
Notification, NewsFlash and Calendar tools) 9
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) 9
hlteractive City Website Feedback Tools 6
City Newsletter 24
Other, please specify below:
^ Senior Center -Visual, running info board;
^ Dublin Patch (3 votes);
^ Local newspaper;
^ BART Station Kiosk;
^ City website;
^ Love the flier in the rec booldet or was it mailed separately -can't remember -told us about
what s going on.
Email remained the much preferred means of communication, followed by the City Newsletter
and standard postal mail, but responses were spread across all categories.
Page 4 of 4