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Published on 05/26/1999 All articles from this issue

Committee to help city set budget priorities

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By Joanne Griffith Domingue

Town Crier Staff Writer

Operating budget

City staff used a 3 percent inflation figure for the two years of the budget, 1999-00 and 2000-01, and projected that percent for staff salary increases as well.

New items in the operating budget include $74,929 for a police SWAT team for 1999-00 and $75,554 for 2000-01. Operating these teams requires more training, which generates costs in overtime and equipment, according to the city documents.

Budgeted new staff includes adding a third police officer to the traffic enforcement team. The two currently providing traffic enforcement are funded by a state grant.

The traffic cops are expected to generate $108,000 in traffic fine revenue in 1999-00 and $34,000 in 2000-01. Under state law this money may not be used to fund police salaries, according to the budget document.

Costs for fire service will increase by 3.8 percent in 1999-00 per the city's agreement with the Santa Clara County Fire Department, which provides fire protection to Los Altos.

Capital improvements

Current budgeting includes from $2 million to $3 million in capital improvements each year for the next five years.

But there's no money for another $9.6 million in capital improvements that many may want to see. At the top of this list is 401 Rosita, the 5.5-acre site the city bought in 1996 for citywide recreation, including some type of gymnasium.

Also on the unfunded list is $21,600 for downtown street lighting, to "replace those (12) that have been damaged beyond repair," according to the budget document.

Additional staffing

The numbers are good. Not only are operating expenses below income for the city of Los Altos for fiscal 1998-99, but income grew 6 percent above what was projected, according to the city's recently released budget report.

The torrid pace of real estate prices and transactions has boosted the city's largest source of revenue, property tax.

After years of pinching pennies and "status quo" budgeting, "We're not lean right this second," said Councilwoman Kris Casto.

A 29-member blue-ribbon citizen committee, with Bob Grimm as chairman, will meet Thursday night to review the city's budget documents.

Its task: to consider possible future capital improvements, such as developing the city-owned 401 Rosita site for recreation; and to evaluate areas for possible additional city staffing, such as more motorcycle patrol officers.

By using a citizen committee, "We're asking the community, 'Do you want these things or not?'" Casto said.

City staff spent months putting together the three-part budget packets. One shows the city's budget continuing at its current levels. The second, a 69-page document, outlines funded and unfunded capital improvement projects. The third, a 39-page packet, suggests possible areas in which to increase city staff.

The staff "gives its best estimates of what needs to be done in the community," said city manager Phil Rose.

The city council held three study sessions last week, one lasting until midnight, reviewing and setting their priorities.

Now, the blue-ribbon committee will consider and recommend back to the council, having in hand data from the staff and priorities from the council.

This is a new budget process for Los Altos. "It gives us a much better picture of what we can afford or not," Casto said. "This gives us the whole picture, the ability to make good choices all at once."

City staff created this list of 22 areas for additional staffing "to clearly identify choices available for the operating budget of the city," the document stated.

The list includes possibilities throughout the city, from more people in the planning department for checking plans to a computer systems technician or a youth theater part-time recreation specialist.

Rose said, "The city should consider that we have a number of needs that are not within our financial capability, and there are a number of increases to our existing service levels that the community may desire or expect."

After the blue-ribbon committee creates its priorities, the city council has until the end of June to make the final decisions about the budget.