CITY COUNCIL AGENDA PACKET - Laserfiche WebLink

Page 3 of 9 The use of one-time funds and redirecting funding away from capital and maintenance needs is not sustainable, and the structural deficit remains. This situation will be exacerbated by any economic downturn and/or costs rising beyond what is projected. Without further service reductions and/or supplemental, sustainable, ongoing revenue, the City will continue to face these fiscal challenges. Additionally, the funding needs for the City’s capital infrastructure remain significant at approximately $900 million over the next 10 years, and this number is projected to go up as additional deficiencies are identified based on a more thorough assessment of the City’s facilities and other capital assets through the Asset Management Plan study currently underway. In addition to program and service reductions, and to reflect the City Council’s priorities, the Proposed Operating Budget also includes some internal restructuring to improve operational efficiency, such as the addition of one full-time employee in the area of Economic Development and the consolidation of economic and community development resources within one department to form a new Community and Economic Development Department, which is discussed in more detail below. The following highlights some noteworthy aspects of the Proposed Operating Budget. Refer to Attachment 1 for more details. Consolidation of Community Development and Economic Development The two-year budget includes a proposed organizational change to transition the Economic Development Division, currently housed in the City Manager’s Office, to a division of the Community Development Department, which would be re-titled to the Community and Economic Development Department (CEDD). The proposed change reflects the City Council’s strategic plan priority to increase focus on economic development activities, and a growing interest in exploring opportunities through land use, permitting, and process changes to facilitate new investment in Pleasanton. As such, the Economic Development Division would include, in addition to the current Economic Development Manager, a new Economic Development and Business Development Manager, who would provide an additional resource to be complementary to the more program-based focus of the Econimic Development Manager. This new position will initiate improvements to City processes that affect business investment, including permit processing (e.g., permit center workflow improvements and troubleshooting between City divisions involved in the permit process); review and update of zoning and land use regulations and procedures to reduce unnecessary delays and costs to applicants and administrative burden on staff; and business supportive services (e.g., business concierge, small business liaison/technical assistance). The Economic and Business Development Manager would also provide a critical bridge between planning and land use, building and safety, and economic development to support long-range planning initiatives, such as review of opportunities for new light-industrial development in East Pleasanton, and exploring retail and commercial opportunities as part of the Stoneridge mall mixed-use redevelopment. Changes to Library Service Levels One of the largest cost savings in the Proposed Operating Budget is the reduction of library hours to 48 hours per week, representing a 23 percent reduction to current service hours. The Pleasanton Library is currently open 62 hours per week, which places it near the top of operating hours for public libraries in the region. For comparison, public library hours in nearby Page 266 of 682