Cake?: In the Community Room, for the City's Birthday Celebration. The Mayor will make speech about all the wonderful progress the city has made and no doubt a bit about her leaving the City Council as a Mayor and Council Member. Did I mention the possibility of Cake?
It is also an event where you may see what I call the Chamber Dance. No 3 City Council Members are supposed to meet together except at a city council meeting. Who is in the room and when is kind of interesting to make note of.
On to more serious topics.
The agenda packet for the Dec 14, 2010 meeting is posted on the web site, (see link below). I have read all 280+ pages once and will read it again prior to Tuesday.
What pops out at me as I read the first time:
Election results: The election between McNaboe and Robles was decided by Mail In Ballots. Robles won election day voters. McNaboe must have done a real good job getting out the Early Voters, mail in voters. It was also interesting to see that some precincts have much higher voting rates than others.
I haven't used the fine tooth comb on the voucher report...
The Accounting Reports for the RDA and City all I can say is WOW... Night and Day... Yeah Betsy Adams. Financial reports are in a format that they can be understood and questioned where needed. Thank YOU.
Here are a few questions that arise out of such great reports.
1) Who has the RDA made loans to? City Employees? Are these the type of loans that get forgiven after a period of time or will they be paid in full at time of the property's sale? IF the property is ever sold?
2) The Triangle Property formerly a RDA Property on Canal, was sold to a developer who intended to build 10 Condo's. Was there a time line in force? What is the status of that project. Can this be re-designated as low and Moderate Income Housing to fill that element?3) How Nice it was to see Revenue Spelled out.Developer Fees: It looks as if the City's Plans not to collect Developer Fees and Park Fees.. or plans on no development to take place in the next year.4) Waste Water Fees: Sewer Treatment Fees: Revenue? Is this in addition to the cost of the treatment fees? Are we paying the City of Colton to collect Fees above the cost of the services they provide and they then kick back the funds to the City of Grand Terrace?5) The 4.6 Million Loan from the RDA to the City: Is there no accounting for specific expenditures other than Staff Salaries and Benefits that those funds could have been consumed by over the years? How was that specific money spent?6) Waived Fees should be accounted for some place as lost revenue or rejected revenue, with an explanation for their waiver. (How do I get my fees waived? may be a guide that staff can write for the rest of us.)
It will take several readings to digest the full content of the financial reports but the format is so much improved it is truly appreciated.
It would be nice to know what the $ value is to qualify for designation of Very Low, Low, Middle Income Levels so that folks can know if they fit in the Grand Terrace bracket for these designations with out trying to do a bunch of data search and math.
Development Agreement:
The Development Agreement and the added stipulations are getting their second reading on this agenda. Reading the Minutes of the Planning Commission Meeting, and then the Exchange between Council Members and the Mayor on this topic you'll be fairly well informed. Citizens behind the project are still not satisfied with the set back of the wall or the design of the land scape they will have after the wall is constructed.
The waiver of Development Fees is detailed but in my opinion not justified in the case of the waived Park Fees In addition the lack of other fees being collected subjects the City to being the funding source if the unforeseen happens in regards to flooding and sewage infrastructure and treatment requirements exceed the projections.
Ethics:
Nice to see that the "Standard Ethics Rules" will be used in Grand Terrace. This requires more detailed income reporting that apparently was required of our City Council Members in the past.
Appointment:
Finally the issue of appoint or elect a city council member to fill the seat vacated by the election of Walt Stanckiewitz to the seat of Mayor. An election by polling place or by mail will cost 30,000 to 45,000 dollars of city money. In the past the council members appointed replacements all except for the position of Miller's seat which was vacated due to internal politics not by a resignation due to pure personal considerations. So what should the council do? Given the situation I think the council should take applications, and If Sylvia Robles applies she should be selected. The City Council knows that there were a significant number of people who voted for her. Picking some one else from the pool turns a blind eye to a recent expression of public desire.
Also read the Minutes contained in the Planning Commission Packet for the December 16th Meeting and you'll gain added in site to the issues and concerns brought up at the City Council Meeting.
Are we there yet? There being a well run government? No but I will say again the financial reports are a big improvement over past years presentations... Thanks Betsy Adams - City Manager.
