February 23, 2007

Top city officials participate in all-day budget priority meeting

Budget retreat follows January neighborhood priority setting and telephone survey

By Ali Abdollahi
Staff Writer

San Jose’s top elected officials and management personnel participated in an all-day priority setting and strategic planning retreat on Feb. 20 as part of Mayor Chuck Reed’s new budget process. The retreat, a component of the “Reed Reforms” for a community-based budgeting process, came on the heels of last month’s neighborhood association priority setting meeting and telephone survey asking San Jose residents to determine priorities in preparation for the 2007-2008 budget.

Over 30 top San Jose officials spent more than seven hours compiling a list of San Jose’s internal strengths and weaknesses, positive and negative external factors, three-year goals, and a mission statement for the city government.

Retreat participants identified San Jose’s outstanding workforce, diverse population, progressive policies, quality of life, environmental awareness, and designation as the nation’s safest big city as some of its internal strengths. Internal weaknesses identified by the participants included the city’s structural deficit, deferred maintenance of city facilities and buildings, traffic congestion, slow response to code enforcement problems, and increased community expectations coupled with decreased resources.

Among the external factors or trends participant identified that could have a positive impact on the city in the next three years, the retreat listed the improving economy, rising test scores in public schools, increased sophistication of neighborhood leadership, the extension of BART to San Jose, and the role of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in the new congress. Negative external factors included the continued outsourcing of high-tech jobs, gang activity, the high cost of living, and a lack of affordable housing.

After identifying strengths, weaknesses, and negative and positive external factors, the bulk of the retreat was spent identifying three-year goals for the city, and measurable means of attaining those goals.

Maintaining San Jose’s status as the safest big city in America
To keep San Jose atop the FBI rankings for America’s safest big cities, Police Chief Rob Davis suggested the identification of $4.9 million to implement the first of four tiers of the SJPD’s five-year staffing plan. “Based on how the FBI ranks the safest big cities, we need to increase our auto theft and burglary detective teams,” said Davis. “We have decreased our staff in the last five years both in residential burglary and in auto burglary.”

Several officials asked for an addition to the chief’s suggestion stating that the $4.9 million allocation should not impact other areas, following recommendations made by the community during last month’s priority setting meeting and survey.

A secondary suggestion was the creation and distribution of an educational video aimed at reducing auto and residential burglaries, for potential use at neighborhood meetings and for insurance companies.

Eliminate the structural budget deficit
Among the seven actions suggested for combating the structural budget deficit was examining upcoming labor contracts and reviewing points in those contracts that contribute to the structural deficit. “What we’re attempting to do is identify the structural deficit, and what’s causing it,” said City Auditor Gerald Silva.

Another suggestion for helping to eliminate the deficit was the use of the CitiStat software program, or a comparable measuring system, to possibly identify areas where the city can save money. Reed said, “The city of Baltimore claims to have saved $43 million (using CitiStat), so it got my attention.”

Reduced deferred maintenance and the infrastructure backlog, and develop a strategy to improve the infrastructure
The top action suggested to improve San Jose infrastructure was the creation of a two-year infrastructure work plan to identify prioritized needs and potential funding mechanisms.

The retreat asked that the deputy city manager inventory all the elements of San Jose’s infrastructure, and propose standards for the condition of those elements. In addition, the deputy city manager was also asked to evaluate existing and potential funding sources for infrastructure maintenance.

Increase economic vitality
As part of the city’s efforts to increase its economic vitality, retreat participants asked the office of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement to draft an ordinance for minor modifications to the industrial and commercial sign ordinance, and to develop a scope proposal for a rewrite of the sign ordinance together with the city attorney.

Other suggestions included identifying actions sites for mixed-use development or retail sites, and high-rise residential development downtown.

Provide full funding for parks, pools, community centers and libraries, including maintenance, operations and development

Retreat participants asked that Parks, Recreations and Neighborhood Services (PRNS) create optional models for completing the city’s Aquatics Master Plan, and for reuse of community centers so that a PRNS budget proposal can be developed.

In addition to an action plan for completing library bond projects, the retreat also produced a suggestion that remaining Park Maintenance Reserve Funds be allocated to restoring basic functions for park maintenance.

Near the conclusion of the meeting, City Manager Les White pointed out the parallels between the issues raised during recent community priority setting and those raised by city officials. “I am pleased that there is a continuity and similarity from the priorities we’ve set to those identified in the neighborhood association meeting and the telephone survey,” White said.

Several other officials also noted the personal benefits of this unique budget process. Vice Mayor Dave Cortese said, “It was great bonding on a personal level with people that I don’t get to work with very often.”

Mayor Reed concurred with Cortese’s sentiments. “(The retreat) was a great method of team building, and recognition of our common interests,” said Reed. “While we have difficulties, the problems are not going to be solved by individuals, but by us as a group.”