DHS City Council, March 3, Public Safety Taxes

The audio from last night's city council meeting is available in two parts: Part 1 (public safety taxes) and Part 2. You can subscribe to these audio posts as podcasts. Posterous suggests using this link in iTunes: itpc://ronslog.posterous.com/rss but I used http://ronslog.posterous.com/rss.xml with success. My only experience with podcasts is in iTunes, so if you're using something else and have technical glitches, I am not the man to ask. I'll be uploading only city-related audio files here, so you can subscribe without the fear that you'll be downloading a Grateful Dead concert, or anything like that.

The city council meeting started with, as usual, attorney Ruben Duran reporting on the preceding closed session. The one item of interest was that the RDA board approved the purchase of the property at 66236 5th Street (northwest parcel on the corner of 5th and Cactus) for $35,000. Usually we see real estate purchases such as this discussed first in closed session, and then coming back to the open meeting on a later date to approve the purchase. But my guess is that the owner was eager to dump this piece o' crap at the bargain basement price, so no further negotiation was necessary. This particular piece of property is of interest especially to me, because it's close to where I live and the pitbulls that used to live there came out and gave me chase more than once. The property briefly made the news a couple of years ago when some displeased boyfriend threw gasoline all over a girlfriend's apartment there, set it alight, and then tried to escape on a stolen motorcycle. In a town where it's pretty easy to keep the short list of escape routes in your head, this doofus forgot where to go and got himself trapped by police just a few blocks away. Once the fire was extinguished the place was crawling with police who, I correctly assumed, were looking for evidence of illegal drug use (or manufacture).

After the meeting I asked interim assistant city manager Rudy Acosta what the plans are, and he said the RDA will demolish the buildings on the site. Yay!

Next Mayor Parks presented a proclamation to Leanna Bonomici, the owner of Casablanca Studios, the highly successful studios located in the old DHS post office that Ms. Bonamici acquired in 1999. Yesterday was declared "Leanna Bonomici" day in Desert Hot Springs.

Public Comments

Dot Reed pointed out the article in the Desert Sun about "Read Across America Day" which mentioned BookPALS (which we are surprised to see was founded by Barbara Bain!). Dot Reed is an alternate BookPAL (or something like that), and spoke of the importance of getting kids interested in reading. She said that anyone who is interested in becoming a BookPAL should contact her and she would provide information.

A very interesting related point was brought out in a later comment by Hank Hohenstein who said that at a Citizens On Patrol training session on Monday he was struck by the observation by DHS police that one thing noticeably lacking from DHS homes was...books! Fortunately, my home will be considered the exception, if the police ever come by to check up on my cultural level. It seems an odd thing for the police to notice. Now, if we were living in, say, a Nordic country I could almost believe that the police would come to the door to share their concern that I might not be getting enough intellectual stimulation. Our DHS police have sensitivities much greater than I imagined.

Mr. Hohenstein pointed out that the COD and PSUSD dispose of thousands of texts every year, some of which could be of benefit and interest to DHS residents. He asked anyone who is interested in doing something about books and learning in Desert Hot Springs to contact him, and he is listed in the phone book.

George Fischer, in his role on the emergency preparedness committee, got up to say that the "Shake, Rattle & Roll" had been very successful with 500 to 1,000 attendees. The event will be repeated next year.

Rossie Stobbs spoke about the upcoming Relay For Life. For more information you can contact her at 333-4841.

Russ Martin announced a fundraiser for the Coachella Valley Coalition (which is opposed to Green Path North) to be held Saturday, March 14, starting at 6 PM at the Agua Caliente Hotel. That is the Agua Caliente Hotel, the one on Palm Drive in Desert Hot Springs. The one that has been recently rehabbed, and not another place in Palm Springs. Tickets are $15. It says "Dinner and Band." There will be prizes which include stays at El Morocco Inn & Spa, Two Bunch Palms Resort & Spa, and The Spring Resort & Spa. Easily worth $15 just for a chance at one of those.

Terry Scheurer expressed his pleasure with the new sidewalks on West Drive and thanked the council, staff, and sidewalk committee.

Tom Heidrick said he thought that the RDA agenda should not be combined with the city council agenda, that the RDA board should not be the same as the city council, and that the RDA and the city council should meet on different days. He said that the way the city does it now is "co-mingling royale" (which is not a treat you can purchase at a Dairy Queen).

Annexation

Teaspoonsful of scorn were "heaped" upon the Sierra Club and Center for Biological Diversity for submitting a 30-page letter at 2:57 PM yesterday requesting small-ish technical changes in the annexation plan in order to strengthen respect for the MSHCP. My, how far we've come that the city feels confident enough to say to Joan Taylor, Don't you think you should have gotten this to us sooner? Ms. Taylor actually apologized, explaining that family matters prevented her from getting it to the council in a more timely manner. One copy of the letter was being circulated among the audience and it came to me like manna from heaven at the very end of the meeting. I'll take a look at it, but I expect it to be uninteresting. One of the first points that I notice is that even though the annexation incorporates the entire CVMSHCP and says all its provisions shall govern, the Sierra Club is concerned that there is no resolution that actually "adopts" the CVMSHCP. Therefore, there is the possibility that the city could change the policy in the future. True enough. It is not entirely impossible that Weyuker and a couple of other dinosaurs from the past could rise from the political graveyard and get re-elected to set us back on the path to complete annihilation.

The Hogle-Ireland crew was there, sharply dressed, and obviously eager to make their presentation with multiple easels and a slide show. I imagine it would have been very similar to their presentation to the planning commission last month. But I think it was Mayor Pro Tem Baker who suggested that all be dispensed with, as the entire annexation project was moving so smoothly, encountering virtually no opposition [barring that late letter from the Sierra Club], so nobody needed to be sold on it.

Terry Scheurer spoke in favor of the annexation. Also, he encouraged Mayor Parks and Mayor Pro Tem Baker to refer to our "need list" not "wish list" when they go to Washington next week to ask for (I hope they demand) funding for our $111 million in needs. Mr. Scheurer said DHS could be the poster child for need. Indeed. We have the highest unemployment rate in Riverside County which, we are told, has the highest unemployment rate in the nation due to the collapse of the construction industry.

Because of the late input from the Sierra Club, the city council voted (4-0) to continue the discussion on annexation to the next city council meeting on March 17, allowing city staff time to work out the details with the Sierra Club.

Public Safety Taxes

City Manager Rick Daniels explained the history of the public safety taxes in DHS. A management audit of the police department two years ago showed that we need 38 to 42 police officers. While Ann Marie Gallant was city manager, the city reduced city staff by 31 employees. Overall city staff went from 111 to 80. Six of those laid off were police officers, leaving us with 25 authorized police officer positions. But there were some lawsuits and worker's comp claims that reduced the actual number of police officers to only 19. City Manager Daniels and Chief Williams have been able, without additional taxes, to bring the level of the police force back up to 25 to 29 positions. Mr. Daniels said he thinks he can squeeze one more police officer into the budget without raising taxes. Better, but still 8 to 12 officers short.

Two-thirds of public safety funding comes from the general fund. One-third comes from the two special public safety taxes: the parcel tax and the utility tax. Special taxes like these require approval by two-thirds of the voters. While both taxes are supported by the citizen's finance committee and the Public Safety Commission, the latest poll has shown that while the utility tax increase could win approval, the parcel tax would probably not pass. City Manager Daniels recommended that the city council put the utility tax increase on the ballot, but to hold off on the parcel tax. The current parcel tax won't sunset until the end of 2010, so there is still time to consider a revised parcel tax proposal, while hoping for an economic turnaround.

Mr. Daniels circulated three pages to compare three scenarios. Mr. Daniels, to his credit, is not one of those who has fallen into the USA Today graphics syndrome. Those who got most of their education prior to about 1970 should be able to compare the differences between the scenarios, although I admit my wheels were a bit rusty. There was the White Page which showed the wished-for increases in both the utility tax and the parcel tax. The Blue Page which calculated no parcel tax increase, but an increase in the utility tax, the proceeds of which would continue to be split 50/50 for public safety and debt reduction, allowing the city to retire the bankruptcy bonds earlier. The Yellow Page differed from the Blue Page only in that the amount dedicated to the bankruptcy bonds would remain at 2½%, allowing ALL of the increase to go for public safety. Since it was the Yellow Page proposal that was ultimately adopted, that's the only one I've scanned for you:

Click for a larger version or go here.

Under the Yellow Page plan, we could get four more police officers. The long term plan is get the city to grow, thrive and prosper so that the city can support public safety with with its regular income, not special taxes.

Here are the parcel tax rates that would have been put to the voters if it had been approved:

Click for a bigger size or go here.

Charles Edmondson said that he would have opposed the parcel tax increase if it had come to the ballot, since it was a doubling of the current rate.

Pamela Edmondson urged the city to go full force to Washington and Sacramento to ask for our tax moneys back.

Dot Reed said the city "really needs the money" and she agrees with city manager.

George Fischer said that he favors both the utility and parcel tax increases and reminded us that the drop in property tax assessments for most of us would offset the parcel tax increase.

Adam Sanchez said he remembered what it was like before we had a police department, that it could take four hours for a Sheriff's Deputy to respond to a 911 call. He said the parcel tax needs more study. He said, "Let's go forward united. One thing we've never been able to do in this town is live united."

Courtney Moe said he supports both tax increases.

Marilyn Heidrick had some bankruptcy questions, one of which was confirmed by Finance Director Jason Simpson who said that we owe $25 million in principal and interest, and that we will be paying interest only until 2019. Mrs. Heidrick went on to draw our attention to the fact that the parcel tax rates would be indexed for inflation which, she said, "Blow us right out of the saddle."

Maria Lease from The Spring Resort said that she supports both tax increases.

Audry Moe said she also supports both taxes, saying "These are our bodies. What difference does it make if we're lying dead in the street. Nothing else matters."

Terry Scheurer said DHS needs more public safety officers. He said the parcel tax should be made simpler. Rather than the eleven categories of taxation it should be reduced to only three rates:
- per room,
- per resident,
- per acre.

The per resident rate might be difficult to administer, I think, requiring the city to make an annual census to determine the number of residents. A per bedroom rate would be easier, and would guarantee more stable revenue.

Rick Wade from Desert Valley Disposal said that DVD supports the utility tax increase.

John Furbee said he is opposed to all taxes, but this is a special situation with property, life and health at stake.

Hank Hohenstein said that only 39% of the city's homes are owner-occupied and that tax increases succeed only 47% of the time. He recommended the June 2 date for the ballot proposal, but did not say why.

Dean Gray held a copy of his Desert Valley Star toward the TV camera as he made his comment, in a more subtle version of what Leslie Andrews tried for the Desert Local News a few weeks ago. I checked the TV monitor and saw that they had zoomed in close on Mr. Gray's face, cutting the newspaper out of the view, so I am including this free plug here. In order to avoid any misquote, here is the audio of Dean Gray's comments:

He refers to "the Baker plan" which he called a good plan. This left me a little confused, since I hadn't heard anyone call anything a "Baker plan." I thought it might have been something Mayor Pro Tem Baker had proposed earlier on the citizen's finance committee that had died. But later comments in the meeting suggested this might have been some sort of misfired sarcasm, meaning the parcel tax summarized above was entirely the brainchild of Mayor Pro Tem Baker. Mr. Gray appears to attribute vast secret powers to Mr. Baker, somewhere between the powers of Joseph Stalin and the secrecy of the Illuminati, but reduced to the scale of Desert Hot Springs.

Rodney Owens supports both tax increases, saying he has been robbed and had his car stolen. His insurance rates have gone up, and if increased police could lower his insurance rates, he could probably save more money than he would pay in increased taxes.

Tony Sclafani, uniformed police officer representing the police officers association, and himself a victim of the layoffs, said that he and his fellow officers have noticed that no community loves its police officers like Desert Hot Springs does. He said that the police force and the city could not afford cutbacks now. A round of applause followed his comment.

Chairman of the public safety commission Jeff Bowman said that the public safety commission had unanimously supported both tax increases, although it had questioned the formula for the parcel tax. He described the "50,000 foot view" of the problem, which is that renters are a disproportionately large source of public safety problems (including code violations) in Desert Hot Springs, and that he wants renters to pay more of the public safety taxes than homeowners.

The proposed parcel tax rate for apartments was $77.42 per year, while a home would pay $241.74. This does seem way out of proportion. Does a 2-bedroom house really generate 3 times as much crime (and other public safety calls) as a 2-bedroom apartment?

Me, I would happily have voted for both tax increases, and I'm on the edge of poverty. $240 per year (a $120 increase) is a pittance for public safety. All you need is one public safety "incident" - a fire, a break-in, vandalism to your car, anything - and you are out more than $120, more than $240. That tax increase is money in the bank. But, hey, if they can come up with a formula where the city gets just as much revenue, but I pay less than $240, I'm no fool. I'd go for it.

Mayor Parks recalled how people were up in arms when police officers were laid off.

Councilmember Matas favors the parcel tax, but agreed it needed work. He echoed Adam Sanchez's remarks about living united, saying " We're all in the same place; we just need to find that crossroads."

Mayor Pro Tem Baker wants to look beyond taxes to fees, such as a business license fee for rentals, to help support public safety.

Councilmember Betts praised the police and said he wants a more equitable parcel tax.

Finally, Councilmember Matas moved to put the utility tax increase on the ballot on May 19, which is the same date as the state election, saving us money. The June 2 date would require the city to pay all expenses for the vote for just the single item, and turnout would be low. Does anyone have a knowledgeable opinion on whether chances for passage would be increased by a low or high turnout? The resolution was approved 4-0.

The resolution to table the parcel tax increase was approved 3-1, with Mayor Pro Tem Baker dissenting.

Administrative Calendar

The city manager's employment agreement was amended to bring his benefits into line with the benefits for the department heads. Also added was a 3% longevity bonus payable at his 3rd and 5th anniversaries. This was approved 4-0.

A personnel committee made up of Mayor Pro Tem Baker and Mayor Parks was approved 3-1 with Councilmember Betts dissenting, calling it "minutia."

Then a Waste Management committee was created. The DVD contract is expiring in 2012 and the city needs to look to including multi-family residences in the recycling program. Councilmembers Matas and Betts make up this committee.

Consent Calendar

Approved without discussion was the purchase of 66146 Pierson Boulevard for $102,500. Congratulations Nick! The purchase of 66435 1st Street for $110,000 was also approved. Property on the west side of Palm Drive between 4th and 5th was purchased from the Diocese of San Bernardino for $400,000. And, finally, the city manager was authorized to squeeze one more police officer into the budget.

Pulled out for discussion was an award of $614,700 to WWCOT/Mills for complete architectural services for the design of the new Boys & Girls Club. This was pulled because Planning Commissioner Gabriel King had submitted a request to comment. He said that he thought $614,700 was too high a price. Mayor Pro Tem Baker commented that the rule of thumb is that architect fees usually consume 10 to 12% of a project's funding, so this was a remarkable low rate for a $10,000,000 project. Councilmember Betts asked if this had been put out for bid. Interim Assistant City Manager Rudy Acosta fully explained (again) that professional services were not put out for bid, but that they selected from the most qualified local architects who had been pre-qualified. They came back with this low bid, so there was no reason to seek further. Both Mr. Acosta and City Manager Daniels reminded us that time is of the essence on this project, requiring work to commence before the end of this year.

The contract was approved 4-0.

Council and Staff Comments

Councilmember Betts counseled caution on LADWP's "A3" proposal for Green Path North.

Mayor Pro Tem Baker said that the city's three food banks are beginning to coordinate their services now. Also he announced he would be nominated Catherine Romero to the Planning Commission.

Mayor Parks said that the new bus shelters would be installed in DHS this month. Another round of applause followed.

Councilmember Matas reminded everyone to plan to be at Wardman Park for the grand re-opening on March 21 at 9:30 AM.

City Manager Daniels and City Engineer Hoy gave a brief 4-slide presentation on the pavement project. The first four phases of repaving have come in $3.6 million UNDER budget, which is enough to add 10 MORE miles to the paving project. So expect to see lots, lots more asphalt real soon.