Jun 11, 2026 Budget & Finance Commission

[00:00:02]

CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER. THE JUNE MEETING OF THE REDONDO BEACH BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMISSION.

[A. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

COMMISSIONER JESTE? YES. COMMISSIONER ALLEN? PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER RAMCHARAN? ABSENT. COMMISSIONER SHERBIN? HERE. COMMISSIONER TURNER? HERE. COMMISSIONER WOODHAM? HERE. OKAY, LET'S STAND AND SALUTE THE FLAG. READY? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

[D. APPROVE ORDER OF AGENDA]

AND I THINK THAT'S THE ONLY ONE, RIGHT? DO WE HAVE TO HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THAT? YEAH. YOU NEED A MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE. OKAY.

CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE BLUE FOLDER ITEM?

[E. BLUE FOLDER ITEMS - ADDITIONAL BACK UP MATERIALS]

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. CONSENT CALENDAR. F1 AND F2.

[F. CONSENT CALENDAR]

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. THERE'S NO EXCLUDED CONSENT CALENDAR.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS. WE'VE GOT 30 MINUTES ALLOWED TO THIS.

THREE MINUTES PER PERSON. THERE'S NO ONE PRESENT HERE.

ANYONE ONLINE? NO ONE ON ZOOM AND. SECOND. NO ECOMMENTS.

OKAY. AND ITEMS CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS AGENDAS.

ACTUALLY, ALL THREE ITEMS ARE CONTINUED FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING, SO WE'LL MOVE INTO THAT IN A SECOND.

LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO ACCOMPLISH TONIGHT.

[J. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION PRIOR TO ACTION]

WE, IN THE PAST, WE'VE ALWAYS SENT A LETTER TO CITY COUNCIL WITH COMMENTS ON THE BUDGET FROM BUDGET AND FINANCE.

SO I'M PROPOSING THAT WE DO THE SAME THING. SO WE CAN DISCUSS ANY PARTS OF THE BUDGET TONIGHT AND THEN ALSO DISCUSS AT THE SAME TIME WHAT WE THINK IS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO SEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF BACKGROUND MATERIAL.

WE'VE GOTTEN WE'VE SEEN 32 DECISION PACKAGES, 49 BUDGET RESPONSE REPORTS, 355 PAGE DOCUMENT.

WE'VE KILLED A FEW TREES THERE. WE'VE MET WITH THE CITY MANAGER.

THE BUDGET IS CLOSE TO COMPLETION. IT WILL BE VOTED ON AND APPROVED AT TUESDAY NIGHT'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING.

THE KEY FACTORS THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT SO FAR, THE GENERAL FUND IS BALANCED BY A COMBINATION OF 1.4 MILLION CARRY OVER FROM THIS YEAR FROM FISCAL 26. 5% HIRING FREEZE, WHICH ADDS, WHICH REDUCES EXPENSES BY 2.9 MILLION.

AS WE'VE BEEN TOLD, THE REVENUE IS REVENUE GROWTH IS WEAK.

WE SEE A 2% INCREASE IN TAX REVENUE, 1% INCREASE IN NON-TAX REVENUE, AND THE TOTAL EXPENSE BUDGET IS APPROXIMATELY $131 MILLION. WE'RE FACING AN UNCERTAIN ECONOMY. U.S.

AND LOCAL ECONOMIES ARE SLOWING SOMEWHAT. GDP IS DOWN IN THE FIRST QUARTER, BUT IT'S OFTEN DOWN IN THE FIRST QUARTER.

INFLATION NUMBERS WERE ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY FOR THE TRAILING 12 MONTHS THROUGH MAY.

HEADLINE CPI IS UP 4.25%, AND CORE IS UP 2.85%.

STOCK MARKET IS DOING WELL IN SPITE OF A SELL OFF FOR THE LAST FOUR OF THE LAST FIVE DAYS.

JUST AS AN FYI, CALPERS RETURNS WERE 7.9% THROUGH THE END OF MARCH.

THEIR TARGET IS 6.8. WE HAD GREAT MONTHS DURING APRIL AND MAY.

WE WERE ON THE DOWNHILL SLIDE FOR THE LAST FOUR DAYS.

THE MARKET THROUGH YESTERDAY WAS DOWN ABOUT 4.25% FOR THE MONTH.

[00:05:03]

NOW, REGARDING OUR REPORT TO COUNCIL UNLESS WE CAN DISCUSS AS WE GO TONIGHT WHAT WE WANT TO SAY, IN THE PAST WE'VE COMMENTED ON SPECIFIC BUDGET ITEMS. I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FAMILIARITY WITH MOST OF THOSE TO COMMENT ON THAT, BUT THERE ARE STRATEGIC ITEMS REGARDING BUDGETING AND THE OPERATION OF THE CITY THAT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR US TO MAKE COMMENTS ON.

SO IF THAT'S THE, THE. THE COMMITTEE CAN DECIDE WHAT WE WANT TO DO.

BUT THAT'S MY THOUGHT. AND THE THINGS THAT SEEM TO ME TO BE FOCUSED THAT WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON AND CITY COUNCIL SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON OR TO REMAIN SOMEWHAT CONSERVATIVE IN IN SPENDING OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, BECAUSE THE ECONOMY IS FAIRLY UNCERTAIN AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

INCREASE OUR RESERVES. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE, THE WISDOM OF GOING TO A 20% RESERVE, WHICH I ASSUME, I THINK IS THE COMBINATION OF THE OPERATING RESERVE AND CALPERS.

WE'RE AT SOMEWHAT LESS THAN THAT NOW. AND AS ALWAYS, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON QUALITY OF LIFE FOR INDIVIDUALS AND, AND BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO WITH THOSE OPENING THOUGHTS I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION ON THE BUDGET AND COMMENTS, DISCUSSION FROM, FROM ANYONE ON THE COMMITTEE.

AND I CAN START IT BECAUSE I HAD A QUESTION THAT PERHAPS STEPHANIE COULD ANSWER.

STEPHANIE ON BUDGET RESPONSE REPORT NUMBER 46.

THAT WAS ONLINE. I COULDN'T FIND IT ON THE LIST OF THOSE THAT CAME OUT, BUT THEY, IT ADDRESSES THE POLICE DEPARTMENT PIER AND MARINE ENFORCEMENT.

AND IN THEIR FOOTNOTE, THEY SAY THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT $1.5 MILLION BEING BUDGETED FOR FOUR FULL TIME EMPLOYEES.

IS THAT DID I MISREAD THAT? OR IS THAT'S ALMOST $400,000 PER EMPLOYEE? SO I THINK THERE'S A TYPO OR A MISTAKE THERE SOMEWHERE.

LET ME LOOK AT THIS ONE REALLY QUICK. I'M LOOKING AT OH, THAT WOULD BE WHY.

DEPARTMENT DECISION PACKAGE 46. 46. NOW I COULDN'T FIND 46 IN MY PRINTED MATERIAL, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS ONLINE. OH, IT SHOULD BE IN THERE AS WELL.

THE FULLY LOADED COST THE CURRENT IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILLION.

I WILL HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT BECAUSE THAT IS DEFINITELY WHAT IT SAYS.

JUST THINKING THAT THROUGH LOGICALLY. AND I'M STARING AT JACOB BECAUSE HE RUNS ALL OUR PERSONNEL AND KNOWS IT VERY WELL. I DON'T THINK THAT COULD BE ACCURATE.

OR IS THAT ACCURATE? THAT'S THE ONE THAT HAS.

FINANCIAL SYSTEM FIVE. GOT IT. YES. SO THE FIVE PEOPLE ARE THE OR THE EQUIVALENT OF THE FIVE PEOPLE IS ABOUT 1.5 MILLION.

SO AND I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THAT'S THE CASE. AND WE COULD LOOK AT KIND OF EACH ONE IN MORE DETAIL.

BECAUSE THESE ARE PUBLIC SAFETY, THE SALARY AND BENEFITS TEND TO BE HIGHER THAN WE WOULD IMAGINE.

I THINK THE, YEAH, WE COULD LOOK AT THE FULLY LOADED COST FOR EACH ONE.

THE SALARIES ARE HIGHER BECAUSE WE'RE USING MORE THAN FOUR PEOPLE.

WELL SO. FILL THOSE POSITIONS. THAT'S PART OF IT.

BUT THE, THE REAL REASON WHY THOSE NUMBERS ARE HIGH IS THAT SALARY AND FRINGE FOR A FAIRLY HIGH LEVEL POLICE, I BELIEVE THERE ARE SERGEANTS OR SERGEANTS. JACOB.

THERE IS, IS JUST QUITE A HIGH NUMBER. SO IT'S PROBABLY CLOSE TO 300,000.

IS THAT TRUE? JACOB FOR EACH OF THOSE POSITIONS.

YEAH, I THINK SO. YEAH. SO WE COULD LOOK IN THAT IN MORE DETAIL.

BUT TO GET A BREAKDOWN BY POSITION, BUT IT'S, IT'S JUST A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT COST FOR SWORN OFFICERS AT THAT LEVEL.

AND WE DID DO SOME PRETTY THE, THE POLICE CHIEF DID DO SOME PRETTY INTENSIVE RESEARCH INTO THIS TO JUST KIND OF VALIDATE THE ALLOCATION OF THAT PERSONNEL AND THAT LEVEL OF BUDGET TO THE HARBOR, TIDELANDS AND UPLANDS AREA.

I BELIEVE THE BRR REFERENCES IT, BUT A LARGE PORTION OF THEIR ARRESTS ARE IN THAT AREA.

THEY DO SPEND A LOT OF TIME DOWN THERE. SO WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT THE ALLOCATION OF STAFF TO THOSE FUNDS INTO THAT AREA MAKES SENSE.

[00:10:06]

I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT IT IN DETAIL, BUT I WOULD SAY WE ARE PROBABLY ON PAR.

WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT KNOWN TO BE A HIGHER PAYING CITY.

I THINK OUR LAST SALARY SCHEDULE WAS THREE YEARS AGO, RIGHT BEFORE I STARTED.

SO I THINK WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO BRING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY UP TO PAR WITH THE SURROUNDING AREAS.

SO WE'RE PROBABLY ABOUT AT LEVEL, BUT DEFINITELY WE'RE NOT AN OUTLIER.

IN TERMS OF THE, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE CALPERS BENEFITS, THE RETIREMENT BENEFITS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. THERE ARE A LOT OF BONUSES, SPECIAL PAYS, ETC.

ASSOCIATED WITH PUBLIC SAFETY, AND THAT MAKES THE COST HIGHER.

THEN THESE INCOMING POSITIONS THEN DON'T FALL UNDER THE NEW BENEFITS PACKAGE THAT THE THAT WE HEARD THE CITY WAS IMPLEMENTING? I THOUGHT THERE WAS A TWO-TIER SYSTEM. THE INCOMING PEOPLE WOULD ALL BE HIRED UNDER THE NEW LAW.

AND IT HAS A DIFFERENT ORIENTATION. YEAH. ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT TEPRA? LIKE THE TIER TWO RETIREMENT? YES. SO DEFINITELY ANY NEW PEOPLE COMING IN WOULD BE IN THE I BELIEVE IT'S IN THE TEPRA. THOSE COSTS ARE LOWER THAN FOR OUR CLASSIC MEMBERS.

BUT THEY'RE STILL HIGHER THAN AN EQUIVALENT NON SAFETY POSITION IF THAT MAKES SENSE.

SO PEOPLE IN THE RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTIONS AND THE BENEFITS THAT WE PAY FOR SAFETY AND FOR SWORN ARE JUST HIGHER THAN WE PAY FOR NON SAFETY. I MEAN FOR YOU KNOW, RELATIVE, BUT THEY'RE STILL STRUCTURED IN THE SAME WAY.

YES. EXACTLY. SO THE ONLY. YES. THE ONLY WAY THAT WOULD NOT BE THE CASE AND I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR MOU IN MORE DETAIL IS IF WE GET LATERAL TRANSFERS.

AND I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS IN MORE DETAIL, BUT I BELIEVE WE COULD WE WOULD ACCEPT A LATERAL AS A TIER TWO, BUT I DON'T THINK WE ACCEPT EVEN AS TRANSFERS, ANYONE WHO'S CLASSIC, WHICH IS KIND OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE.

SO AGAIN, EVEN IN PUBLIC SAFETY, OUR PENSION CURVE IS SLOWLY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

BUT THANK YOU. YEAH. AND SECOND QUESTION, ONE THING I'VE NEVER QUITE UNDERSTOOD IS THE HARBOR, TIDELANDS AND HARBOR UPLANDS.

HOW. WHERE DO. WHERE DOES THAT REVENUE COME FROM? WHAT HAPPENS IN THE CASE OF A DEFICIT? BECAUSE THERE'S A THERE'S A DEFICIT IN THE.

AT LEAST ONE. ONE OF THOSE CASES THIS YEAR. DOES THAT EVER GET FOLDED INTO THE GENERAL FUND OR IS IT ALWAYS A SEPARATE? SO WE'LL MAKE THAT DECISION USUALLY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

THE LAST FEW YEARS WE'VE HAD SOME CHALLENGES WITH BOTH THE TIDELANDS AND UPLANDS.

BASICALLY RELATED TO THE FACT THAT WE HAD SOME LONG OVERDUE MAINTENANCE AND CAPITAL SPENDING IN THOSE AREAS FOLLOWING THE, THE END OF THE LAWSUIT. SO THE CITY KIND OF PUT OFF A LOT OF MAINTENANCE THINKING POTENTIALLY A DIFFERENT PARTNER WAS GOING TO COME IN AND TAKE OVER THOSE AREAS ONCE WE RESOLVED THAT LAWSUIT. THERE'S JUST A, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PENT UP NEED FOR SOME MAINTENANCE, SOME CAPITAL SPENDING. SO THE PAST, AT LEAST THE PAST YEAR, THE GENERAL FUND HAS SUBSIDIZED BOTH THOSE FUNDS TO COVER THE DEFICIT. IT'S A CHOICE THAT THE CITY WILL MAKE AND WILL MAKE ON AN ONGOING BASIS.

TO ANSWER YOUR FIRST QUESTION ABOUT THE REVENUES, SO THE MAIN SOURCE OF REVENUE ARE THE LEASES LEASE REVENUE IN THE HARBOR AREA.

SO THE HIGHLANDS AND UPLANDS ARE JUST IN KIND OF DIFFERENT AREAS.

AND THEN WE ALSO GET PARKING REVENUE IN BOTH OF THOSE FUNDS.

WE DO THINK THAT THE REVENUE OUTLOOK, WE EXPECT IT TO BE A LITTLE BETTER MOVING FORWARD.

WE'RE DOING A LOT OF WORK REVIEWING OUR LEASES, GETTING TENANTS ON KIND OF LONGER LEASES.

WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME WITH OUR PARTNER OVER THERE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE APPROPRIATELY CAPTURING ALL OUR LEASE REVENUE.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BRINGING IN SOME SPECIAL EVENTS.

WE HAVE SOME OTHER IDEAS FOR THESE AREAS, SO WE THINK THERE IS A CHANCE WE'LL END EITHER A LOT CLOSER TO BALANCE FOR THE UPLANDS OR AT IT DEPENDING, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS WITH OUR LEASES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

BASIC QUESTION ON THAT. WHAT IS HARBOR TIDELANDS AND WHAT IS HARBOR UPLANDS? WHAT GEOGRAPHIC AREA DID THEY TAKE IN? I WAS SOMEWHAT CONCERNED YOU WERE GOING TO ASK THIS QUESTION BECAUSE I ALWAYS FORGET EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.

[00:15:06]

I CAN PICTURE KIND OF THE MAP AND. BUT GEOGRAPHICALLY THAT THAT ENCOMPASSES THE HARBOR AREA, THE AREA WHERE THE, THE PIER, THE ALL THE WAY UP TO HERMOSA.

I BELIEVE. SO, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? I WILL SEND EVERYONE A MAP FOLLOWING THIS.

AND AGAIN, WE TREAT BOTH OF THESE AS, AS ENTERPRISE FUNDS.

AS THIS GROUP LIKELY KNOWS, THAT MEANS WE TREAT IT, RUNNING IT LIKE A BUSINESS. THE REVENUE THAT WE GENERATE STAYS THERE AND WE'RE NOT ABLE TO TAKE THAT REVENUE AND SPEND IT OUTSIDE OF THE HARBOR.

SO THAT'S WHY WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE MAKE SURE THAT ANY COSTS WE'RE ASSIGNING TO THE TIDELANDS OR UPLANDS REFLECT THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE TO THE TIDELANDS AND UPLANDS.

I'VE BEEN ON THIS COMMISSION FOR SIX YEARS AND I KEEP INTENDING TO ASK THAT QUESTION BECAUSE THE BUDGETING, IT ALWAYS COMES UP AND I ASK MYSELF, DO YOU REALLY KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THERE? AND I DON'T, SO. AND SIMILARLY, WHEN I'M DOING THIS, I THINK, LET ME REMEMBER WHERE THE TIDELANDS AND UPLANDS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE SPECIFIC PROPERTIES.

AND ANYWAY, I WILL GET THAT ANSWER FOR YOU, BUT IT'S GENERALLY THOSE AREAS THE HARBOR TIDELANDS, THOSE FUNDS ARE VERY RESTRICTED. THE UPLANDS FUNDS, I MEAN, WE TREAT THOSE SEPARATELY, BUT THERE, WE HAVE MORE ABILITY TO, I GUESS, USE THOSE FUNDS A LITTLE BIT INTERCHANGEABLY WE DON'T.

BUT THE UPLANDS IS ALMOST MORE OF AN EXTENSION OF THE GENERAL FUND.

AND AGAIN, WE DON'T TREAT IT AS SUCH. WE DO TREAT THEM SEPARATELY AND WE RECORD THE REVENUE SEPARATELY.

BUT WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SUBSIDIZING THE FUND AT THE END OF THE YEAR, IT'S A IN SOME SENSE IT'S A SUBSIDY, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S CITY MONEY. I'LL JUST CONTINUE WITH SOME QUESTIONS I HAVE.

AND COMMISSION MEMBERS CAN STEP IN WITH THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAVE.

DECISION PACKAGE NUMBER 8 IS THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.

AND THE COMMENT WAS THAT WE HAVE 4.8 MILLION IN EXPENSES FOR THAT DEPARTMENT.

AND APPARENTLY WE WERE ONLY RECOVERING IN FEES, 75% OF THAT.

SO THE INCREASE IS TO BUMP THE FEES BY 1.1 MILLION.

CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT? ARE WE. NUMBER ONE, HAVE WE CUT EXPENSES IN THAT DEPARTMENT AS MUCH AS WE CAN? AND NUMBER TWO, ARE, WITH THE FEE INCREASE, ARE WE COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER CITIES IN THE IN THE IN THE BEACH AREA? YES. SO I'LL DO MY BEST TO ANSWER BOTH OF THOSE QUESTIONS ON THE FIRST ITEM RELATED TO EXPENSES.

I THINK WE ACTUALLY ARE RUNNING PRETTY PRETTY, PRETTY LEANLY ON EXPENSES.

SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, ESPECIALLY YEAR IN THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS CONTRACT OUT A LOT OF OUR BUILDING OUR PLAN CHECK, BUILDING PLAN CHECK TO BASICALLY EXPEDITE THE PROCESS FOR BUSINESSES.

PARTIALLY IS TO, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST TO MAKE IT GO FASTER.

WE'VE ALSO HAD SOME CHALLENGES HIRING FOR THOSE ROLES.

SO WHILE WE, YOU KNOW, PAY THE CONTRACT FEES, GENERALLY THAT'S LESS EXPENSIVE THAN MAINTAINING THE FULL-TIME PERSONNEL THAT WE WOULD OTHERWISE NEED TO KIND OF MAINTAIN THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE.

IT ALSO HELPS US BE NIMBLE IF DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY WANES, BECAUSE IF DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY WANES, WE CAN'T JUST CUT STAFF, BUT WE CAN STOP SPENDING MONEY SENDING CONTRACTS OUT.

SO I THINK THE DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY DOES RUN QUITE LEANLY.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO EVALUATE.

AND THEY DID HAVE A FULL ORGANIZATIONAL STUDY DONE, I THINK TWO YEARS AGO, WHICH ALSO KIND OF SUPPORTS THE RESULTS OF THIS FEE STUDY.

IN TERMS OF THE FEE STUDY, I BELIEVE THE, YOU KNOW, I'D HAVE TO LOOK IN DETAIL AT THE REPORT.

AGAIN, I BELIEVE THAT THE FEE STUDY REPORT DOES SAY THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, IN LINE WITH OTHER CITIES.

I BELIEVE THAT'S THE CASE. I MIGHT NEED TO, YOU KNOW, CONFIRM WITH OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR.

BUT I THINK FOR A LOT OF THESE, WE JUST, YOU KNOW, WE HADN'T DONE A COMPREHENSIVE PHE STUDY FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

AND THE, THE INCREASES TO THE FEES REFLECT THAT.

OKAY. DECISION PACKAGE 25 ADDRESSES THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AND

[00:20:02]

IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN FISCAL 25. I'M NOT SURE OF 1,084,330.

I DON'T SEE ANYWHERE THAT THERE'S A COST FIGURE FOR THAT.

DO YOU RECALL, HOW IS THAT THAT OPERATION RUNNING AS FAR AS REVENUE AND EXPENSE? ARE THEY LOSING MONEY, MAKING MONEY? SO THEY ARE LOSING IT A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY.

AND ACTUALLY WE SENT JAKE. IF YOU PULL UP, I CAN FIND IT.

WE SENT A REVISED VERSION OF THIS TO COUNCIL AS A BLUE FOLDER ADDRESSING THIS EXACT SAME QUESTION SO THAT WE COULD SHOW THE EXPENSES FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AS WELL.

SO HERE'S THE REVENUE. THIS IS WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING AT WITH THE ROUGHLY MILLION DOLLARS.

SO WE PUT TOGETHER THIS TABLE WITH THE EXPENSES.

SO WHAT YOU CAN SEE IS THAT THE WE ARE, YOU KNOW, RUNNING A, WE ARE RUNNING THIS BUILDING OR THIS, YOU KNOW, OPERATION AT A DEFICIT.

IF WE WERE GOING TO JUST LOOK AT THE REVENUE OVER EXPENSES.

HOWEVER, WHAT YOU CAN SEE IS A VERY LARGE PORTION OF THAT IS OUR INTERNAL SERVICES FUND CONTRIBUTION RELATED TO THAT BUILDING.

AND THAT LARGELY JUST REFLECTS THE COSTS OF, YOU KNOW, RUNNING AND MAINTAINING A LARGE BUILDING.

SO IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, IF YOU JUST LOOK AT THE PERSONNEL AND OPERATIONS, IT'S NOT A HUGE NUMBER.

AND WE ARE MORE THAN COVERING THAT WITH THE ANNUAL REVENUE.

BUT THE AGAIN, IT DOESN'T COVER THE COST TO RUN THE BUILDING.

OKAY. BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE THE BIGGEST NUMBERS HERE ARE FOR OUR LIABILITY INSURANCE AND BUILDING OCCUPANCY.

AND BOTH OF THOSE, WE ALLOCATE THE CITYWIDE COSTS BASED ON THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE BUILDING AND THE VALUE OF THE BUILDING.

AND THEN THE USE OF KIND OF MAINTENANCE AND SUPPLIES.

SO THIS JUST SHOWS GENERALLY WE'RE RUNNING IT PRETTY SMOOTHLY, BUT MAINTAINING THE BUILDING IS EXPENSIVE.

WHAT'S THE LONG TERM PLAN FOR THAT BUILDING. ARE WE I MEAN WE'RE BASED ON THIS, WE'RE RUNNING AN $800,000 DEFICIT.

I ASSUME WE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT FOREVER. WE ALSO DON'T WANT TO CLOSE DOWN THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, SO IS THERE A SOLUTION? I THINK THEY'VE LOOKED AT I THINK THEY'VE LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF THINGS.

I MEAN, I ALSO DON'T KNOW THAT THE CITY HAS A GOAL TO TURN IT INTO A REVENUE GENERATING FACILITY.

I THINK THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY DO TO YOU KNOW, IF WE WANT TO TRY AND DECREASE OUR, OUR MAINTENANCE COSTS, THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT AGAIN, I'M SPEAKING A LITTLE BIT OUT OF TURN HERE BECAUSE I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON THIS, BUT I THINK SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WHEN WE'VE LOOKED AT DOING MORE WITH THE BUILDING OR BRINGING IN MORE PEOPLE IS THAT MAY REQUIRE SOME LEVEL OF RENOVATION TO THE BUILDING, WHICH IS KIND OF AN UPFRONT EXPENSE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE EXTRA CAPACITY FOR.

SO IT'S A GREAT QUESTION FOR OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR.

I CAN SEE IF I CAN BRING MORE INFORMATION. I DON'T THINK THERE ARE ANY VERY ACTIVE PLANS TO CHANGE CHANGE THINGS AT THIS MOMENT, BUT WE DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, A VERY ACTIVE TEAM RUNNING IT, TRYING TO BRING IN PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TO USE THE FACILITY EACH YEAR. HOW MANY DAYS IN A YEAR, THE.

YEARS JUST SITTING EMPTY. THAT MAY ACTUALLY BE IN THE BUDGET RESPONSE REPORT HERE.

I WILL SAY TO THEIR, YOU KNOW, CITY EVENTS AND INTERNAL EVENTS THAT WE USE THE BUILDING FOR.

SO EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T COLLECT REVENUE FOR THOSE THAT'S PROVIDING A VALUE TO THE CITY.

SO I, IT MAY ACTUALLY. OH, IT'S RIGHT HERE IN THE TOP.

UTILIZED FOR 178 DAYS. YEAH. AND THEN 25 DAYS WERE INTERNAL EVENTS.

WHAT IS IT? 178 DAYS. SO RIGHT OUT OF THE RESPONSE 178 DAYS UTILITY.

AND THEN 25 DAYS FOR ACTUAL INTERNAL EVENTS LIKE CITY CLIENTS IS ONLY 46 AND 71 UNIQUE EVENTS.

OKAY. DO EITHER HERMOSA OR MANHATTAN BEACH HAVE A FACILITY LIKE THAT? HERMOSA DOES. HERMOSA DOES. HERMOSA THEATER. WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

[00:25:04]

I WILL SAY ONE ITEM THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED HERE THAT MAY IMPROVE OUR INTERNAL SERVICES FUND CHARGES.

HERE ARE THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO INSURANCE. BECAUSE WE'VE DECREASED OUR OR SORRY, WE'VE INCREASED OUR DEDUCTIBLE, OUR SELF-INSURED RETENTION AND DECREASED THE INSURANCE COVERAGE.

BOTH OF THOSE SHOULD DECREASE OUR PREMIUMS, WHICH SHOULD KIND OF WORK ITS WAY THROUGH.

SO THERE MAY BE SOME, SOME RELIEF IN THAT SPECIFIC AREA OF THE INTERNAL SERVICES, AT LEAST.

I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE PROMOTED BECAUSE IT'S IN A VERY GOOD LOCATION.

IT'S A NICE FACILITY, LOTS OF PARKING. AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE CAN TALK THROUGH THESE LARGE CORPORATIONS INTO HOLDING SOME OF THEIR EVENTS AT THAT PLACE. YEAH.

AND AGAIN, I'D PROBABLY JUST NEED TO REFER THAT SPECIFIC QUESTION TO OUR, OUR TEAM THAT MANAGES IT.

BUT. I'M SURE THEY'RE DOING SOME LEVEL OF OUTREACH AND MARKETING.

BUT. YEAH, IT'S NOT ENOUGH. I'LL PROBABLY DO MORE.

YEAH. IF, IF HERMOSA AND MANHATTAN HAVE A SIMILAR FACILITY, WE SHOULD, SHOULD GET TOGETHER AND KILL TWO OF THEM AND KEEP THE OTHER ONE GOING FOR THE ALL THREE CITIES. THAT SORT OF EXHAUSTS MY LIST OF SPECIFIC ITEMS. SO WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO BRING TO THE ATTENTION OF CITY COUNCIL IN THE LETTER THAT WE WOULD SEND.

AND THE PLAN FOR THAT IS THAT I'VE SPOKEN WITH STEPHANIE ABOUT THIS.

AND OF COURSE, THE, THE MEETING IS TUESDAY NIGHT.

WE NEED TO GET THAT LETTER TO THEM. IDEALLY TOMORROW.

FINISH IT TOMORROW AND GET IT OVER THE WEEKEND. SO I DON'T THINK WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO SHOW THE DRAFT BACK TO THE COMMISSION.

SO WE NEED TO DECIDE TONIGHT WHAT WE WANT, WHAT WE WANT TO SAY IN THAT I CAN DRAFT IT AND AND SEND IT TOMORROW.

STEPHANIE WILL SEND IT TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND TO OTHERS WHO SHOULD GET IT.

SO WHAT DO WE WANT TO INCLUDE? WHAT DO WHAT DO WE WANT TO TELL CITY COUNCIL? I MIGHT JUST SUGGEST SORT OF A GENERAL OVERLAY WITH RESPECT TO THE VOLATILITY IN THE ECONOMY AND THE AND THE UNSURE NATURE OF THE REVENUE FLOWS AND OUR UNKNOWINGNESS ABOUT THE TRANSIT OCCUPANCY TAX RESULTS AND VARIOUS OTHER RELATED ISSUES, SUCH AS THE RATE OF INFLATION THAT A GENERAL APPROACH OF OF PERHAPS PAUSING OR SLOWING THE EXECUTION OF SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT ALLOW FOR THINGS LIKE THAT. AS AN EXAMPLE, MAYBE IN THE VEHICLE ACQUISITION FUND, THEY COULD SPREAD THAT OUT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER IN VARIOUS OTHER TYPES OF CAPITAL EXPENSE PROJECTS, THEY COULD PERHAPS DEFER THE START DATE A LITTLE BIT BACK UNTIL THEY'RE, WE'RE MORE CERTAIN ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THE, THE ECONOMY.

AND I THINK MAYBE JUST MAKING THAT AS SORT OF A GENERAL STATEMENT THAT APPLIES ACROSS THE THE BOARD FOR ALL OF THEIR DECISION PACKAGES THAT ARE PROVING IT AND ACTUALLY GOING INTO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IT COULD BE OBVIOUSLY TWO DIFFERENT STEPS.

ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND IS WE HIGHLIGHT THE GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY.

THAT WAS A BIG PUSH AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. YOU HEARD ABOUT THE DOJ'S DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY.

THAT KIND OF FELL BY THE WAYSIDE, BUT IT HAS GOT TREMENDOUS MERIT, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE HAVE SOME AI TOOLS AVAILABLE TO DO THE DATA ANALYSIS AND FIND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOME SAVINGS.

AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN OVERLOOKED FOR MANY YEARS.

AND I KEEP BRINGING UP THE EXAMPLE OF ONE CITY, FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, THAT RANKS IN THE TOP 10 OR 25 CITIES. IT HAS BEEN IN THAT TOP TEN LIST FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS.

[00:30:05]

THEY WENT THROUGH THE. AND THAT WAS WHEN YOU DID NOT HAVE THE TOOLS THAT YOU HAVE TODAY.

I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE DONE, ESPECIALLY AT TIMES LIKE THESE, WHEN REVENUES ARE FALLING SHORT.

THE INFLATION IS SPIKING AND WE WE HAVE GOT TO MAKE SOME EFFORTS TO SQUEEZE AS MUCH MONEY OUT OF WHAT WE SPEND AS POSSIBLE. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT.

SO YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT BECAUSE OF AI AND OTHER ISSUES THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT AN ANALYSIS OF STAFFING LEVELS.

EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING, EVERY PROCESS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF HOW IT CAN BE SIMPLIFIED, STREAMLINED, AND MADE MORE COST EFFECTIVE.

AND THAT'S NOT HAPPENING. OKAY. SO SPEAKING OF STAFFING LEVELS, I AGREE, WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT STAFFING LEVELS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

IT LOOKS WE HAVE A BIG POLICE DEPARTMENT AND BIG PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

AND WE SHOULD BECAUSE THESE ARE NOT SUPPORT DEPARTMENTS, THESE ARE DEPARTMENTS WHO ACTUALLY DO WORK, BUT DEPARTMENTS. AND I'LL PICK ON FINANCE BECAUSE WE'RE A FINANCE COMMISSION.

DEPARTMENTS LIKE FINANCE. THIS IS MERELY A SUPPORT DEPARTMENT.

AND EVEN INCREASING ONE PERSON IN THIS DEPARTMENT, GIVEN THE REVENUE THAT WE HAVE, SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. SO MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO AND I AM NOT PROPOSING LAYOFFS AT ALL. BUT IF SOMEONE LEAVES IN A FINANCE DEPARTMENT, AND I THINK AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE, I'M COMPARING REDONDO BEACH TO EL SEGUNDO BECAUSE THEY HAVE SIMILAR REVENUE AMOUNTS AND HOW MANY STAFF MEMBERS THEY HAVE IN EL SEGUNDO VERSUS IN REDONDO BEACH.

I RECOMMEND TO REDUCE STAFFING BY AT LEAST THREE PERSONNEL FOR FINANCE DEPARTMENT.

THIS IS A SUPPORT DEPARTMENT. IT DOESN'T GENERATE REVENUE.

IT'S NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING IN REVENUE.

IT'S NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR MARGINS. IT REPORTS NUMBERS.

AND TO HAVE 16 OR 17 THEY INCREASE THAT TO 17 PEOPLE IN FINANCE DEPARTMENT.

THAT'S VERY HEAVY. THIS IS WHERE AI WILL COME IN COULD I JUST MAKE ONE QUICK SO THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION.

CAN I JUST MAKE ONE QUICK COMMENT TO THAT? AND I'M NOT DISAGREEING.

WELL, I DO DISAGREE, BUT THAT'S NOT WHY I'M MAKING THE COMMENT.

I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY. THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR COLLECTING REVENUE.

IT'S COLLECTING NOT GENERATING. THAT'S TRUE. THAT'S ALL THAT'S.

RESPONSIBLE FOR COLLECTING REVENUE. I KNOW MOST OF YOU HERE ARE FROM PRIVATE SECTOR.

IF YOU THINK OF PRIVATE SECTOR, WHAT FINANCE DOESN'T PRIVATE SECTOR.

WHEN I WAS IN PRIVATE SECTOR, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE OUR NEXT REVENUE STREAM WAS GOING TO COME FROM.

WE DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A CONTRACT THAT WAS GOING TO GET RENEWED.

BUT HERE EVERYTHING WE KNOW TODAY IS COMING IN.

WE, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE IN FINANCE.

OH, YOU KNOW, THE MONEY'S NOT COMING IN. SO YOU REPORTED.

YOUR POINT, BUT I'VE GOT TO DISAGREE A LITTLE BIT TOO, BECAUSE I THINK WHEN YOU'VE GOT AN OPERATION THAT CONSISTS OF VARIOUS DIFFERENT ELEMENTS, AND FINANCE WOULD BE ONE OF THE ELEMENTS IN THE COLLECTING AND THE PROCESSING OF THE BILLS AND, AND THINGS THAT IT NEEDS TO BE INTEGRATED WITH THE, WITH THE, THE WHOLE ENTIRETY OF THE OPERATION.

BUT I THINK YOUR POINT ABOUT BEING VERY JUDICIOUS ABOUT FILLING POSITIONS AS THEY BECOME OPEN, THAT PERHAPS A DEEPER ANALYSIS ABOUT HOW THAT AFFECTS THE OVERALL OPERATION RATHER THAN JUST WE'VE GOT AN OPENING.

SO LET'S HIRE SOMEBODY. BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT THE IMPACT OF THAT IS GOING TO HAVE ON THE OVERALL OPERATION, WHETHER IT BE THE FINANCE OR THE YOU KNOW, OR ANY OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.

BUT I THINK IT, IT NEEDS THE HOLISTIC EFFECT OF ALL THE DEPARTMENTS REALLY NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED.

IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, I BELIEVE THIS WAS THE ONLY SUPPORT DEPARTMENT THAT ADDED STAFF.

WHAT VALUE? RIGHT. WHEN YOU HIRE A PERSON TO YOUR ORGANIZATION, YOU HAVE TO THINK, WHAT VALUE DO I DO?

[00:35:06]

IF YOU WHEN YOU ADD A POLICE OFFICER, THERE'S A CLEAR VALUE THAT WE GET.

I THINK YOU HAVE TO ASK THE SAME QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT ANY PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT IS YOU KNOW, SHOULDN'T BE INCLUDED IN THAT, INCLUDING THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I AGAIN, I DON'T DISAGREE. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD OBSERVATION THAT WE SHOULD BE VERY JUDICIOUS ABOUT AND ALSO COMPARE A, YOU KNOW, COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES OF THIS SIZE, THE REVENUE OF THIS SIZE, WHAT CAN THEY IT'S AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAVE EXPENSES AND WE HAVE REVENUES. I UNDERSTAND, BUT I THINK OTHER FACTORS AS AN EXAMPLE HOW MUCH LEASING, HOW MUCH ACTIVITY DO THEY HAVE IN EL SEGUNDO.

SOURCES OF REVENUE ARE DYNAMICALLY DIFFERENT. VIEWING THOSE AND COLLECT, SO.

IT'S VERY SIMILAR. WELL, IT MAY BE, I DON'T KNOW.

SAME AMOUNT OF DEPARTMENTS. BUT DYNAMICALLY SMALLER POPULATION, DIFFERENT SOURCES OF REVENUE.

I MEAN AGAIN, I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULDN'T THEY SHOULDN'T BE BIGGER OR SMALLER. I DON'T HAVE THE INSIDER CONTEXT.

YES. I DON'T HAVE THE INSIDER CONTEXT TO SAY. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THAT SMALLER POPULATION VERSUS LARGER POPULATION THAT WOULD AFFECT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, AND. PROPERTY TAX INCOME AND JUST THE SOURCES OF INCOME.

THE NUMBER THAT'S COMING IN, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S 100 MILLION OR 100 BILLION, IF IT'S FROM ONE DEPARTMENT AND YOU CATEGORIZE IT IN IN A SAME.

AND WHAT IS THE NUMBER? WHAT ARE THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN EL SEGUNDO VERSUS THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES HERE IN REDONDO ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS, BUT. IT DOES NOT AFFECT THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, FINANCE DEPARTMENT. IT'S NOT ENTIRELY TRUE.

THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING. IT DOESN'T SCALE ONE FOR ONE.

SO I MEAN, I THINK I THINK. THERE'S NOT AS MUCH AS, YOU KNOW, NOT AS MUCH AS LIKE POLICE.

YES. I GUESS I'M SAYING I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INSIGHT OR CONTEXT TO SAY THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE HIRING FOR FINANCE.

I AGREE WITH YOUR POINT THAT ALL NEW HIRING SHOULD BE REVIEWED AND SAY, HOW NECESSARY IS THIS? IN LIGHT OF THE FISCAL AND THE ECONOMY THAT WE'RE FACING CURRENTLY.

THEY'VE GONE JUST FINANCE. LIKE I SAID, IT'S A BIG DEPARTMENT, FINANCE, FINANCE COMMISSIONER.

I'M NOT AN HR COMMISSIONER. I CAN PICK ON IT.

YOU WANT ME TO PICK ON IT AND SEE HOW MUCH THE COST INCREASE IN IT.

INCREDIBLY. LOOK AT IT. IF I WAS AN IT COMMISSIONER, I WOULD, I WOULD PICK ON IT AND SAY WHY ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HAVE, WE'RE SPENDING $1 MILLION MORE ON IT? WHERE IT IS HERE TO REDUCE OUR HOURS, NOT INCREASE OUR EXPENSES.

I MEAN, WE CAN LOOK AT IT. LET'S LOOK AT IT. I'M NOT TRYING TO.

I'M JUST, I'M IN FINANCE. ANOTHER FACTOR OF THE ANALYSIS ALSO NEEDS TO BE HOW MUCH IS SPENT OUTSOURCING SOME OF THE JOBS TOO.

I MEAN, AS AN EXAMPLE, YOU CAN YOU CAN REDUCE YOUR HEAD COUNT, BUT INCREASE YOUR OVERALL EXPENSES TO RUN THE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE YOU'RE OUTSOURCING VARIOUS DIFFERENT OTHER FUNCTIONS. WELL, IT WOULD BE A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THAT, RIGHT? LOOK AT THE NUMBERS OF IT. YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.

WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT. I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT.

I'M SORRY. ISN'T IT FAIR TO SAY THAT, THAT OUR COMMENT WOULD BE WE WOULD RECOMMEND A TOP DOWN, BOTTOM UP ANALYSIS OF, OF ALL POSITIONS RATHER THAN FOCUSING ON ANY ONE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A GOOD FEEL FOR.

I WANT TO SUPPORT DEPARTMENTS, NOT ON ALL DEPARTMENTS, NOT I DON'T WANT TO FOCUS ON POLICE.

I DON'T WANT TO FOCUS ON PUBLIC WORKS. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THE POLICE ARE OVER OVERPOPULATED OR UNDERPOPULATED.

I OBVIOUSLY IT'S A IT'S A CRITICAL AREA. SO IS FIRE.

SOMETHING VISIBLE, I THINK, TO GO AFTER POLICE AND FIRE, THAT'S NOT REALISTIC.

WELL, I REALLY LIKE THE GENERAL APPROACH OF HAVING THE GENERAL STATEMENT ABOUT ALL, ALL POSITIONS AND THEN LET IT FALL WHERE IT MAY.

BUT THIS IS WHAT THE ANALYSIS COMES IN. THIS IS WHAT GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY IS ALL ABOUT.

THAT'S WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO. I'VE DONE THIS FOR 30 YEARS IN DIFFERENT COMPANIES, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.

BEST PRACTICES LOOK AT BEST PRACTICES. EL SEGUNDO IS SO MUCH BETTER IN FINANCE.

WHAT ARE THEY DOING THAT WE'RE NOT OR WHAT SHOULD WE BE DOING THAT? BUT AGAIN, BEST PRACTICES HERE WOULD BE IF ANY ONE OF US WAS MADE CITY MANAGER TONIGHT, WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE THAT ANALYSIS OF THE ENTIRE CITY.

I KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, THAT WE TALK ABOUT FINANCE AS WE PICK ON THEM FOR A MINUTE.

I REMEMBER 2 OR 3 YEARS AGO THE THAT DEPARTMENT WAS DECIMATED BY VACANCIES.

SO THE FACT THAT THEY MAY HAVE ADDED MORE PEOPLE THAN ON A PERCENTAGE BASIS THAN SOME OTHERS MAY IN FACT, ONLY BE RELATED TO THE FACT THAT THEY'RE GETTING BACK TO FULL FORCE.

I DON'T KNOW THAT NONE OF US. INCREASED. I MEAN, IT'S IN HERE.

I KNOW, BUT WE YOU COULD LOOK AT THE NUMBERS.

[00:40:02]

I AGREE THAT THE COMMENT SHOULD BE FROM A GENERAL STANDPOINT AND I THAT'S WHAT I WOULD PROPOSE.

YEAH. BUT THAT COVERS EVERYONE THAT COVERS POLICE, FIRE ANYONE FOR THE CITY.

THAT IF YOU ADD POLICE AND FIRE, THEN WHAT WE'RE ASKING IS TOO BIG TO LOOK INTO, AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BE FEASIBLE.

CAN YOU JUST CLARIFY FOR ME WHAT IS YOUR RECOMMENDATION? WHAT ARE YOU ASKING THAT WE'RE LOOKING INTO TO LOOK INTO SUPPORT DEPARTMENTS? HERE, I'LL GIVE AN EXAMPLE ABOUT THEM. IT. SOUNDS LIKE THE UNDERLYING THING IS THE, THE LEVEL OF EFFICIENCY.

FOR EXAMPLE, IT IN FISCAL YEAR 2022 TO 23 WENT FROM $1 MILLION BUDGET TO 26-27 $2 MILLION BUDGET. SO FOR THAT $1 MILLION, WHAT VALUE DO PEOPLE OF REDONDO BEACH ARE RECEIVING? THAT'S A PERFECT QUESTION. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SAYING NEEDS TO BE DONE IN ALL, ALL AREAS.

THAT'S ALL WE JUST THERE'S NO REASON TO LIMIT IT SPECIFICALLY AS KIND OF MY.

I MEAN, I'M IN FINANCE COMMISSION. VERY GOOD POINT.

I DON'T HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF IT. I ONLY HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF FINANCE.

SO THAT'S WHY I'M THAT'S WHY I'M GIVING AN EXAMPLE OF FINANCE.

OKAY, WELL THAT'S ONE GOOD REASON THEN FOR INCLUDING ALL THE DEPARTMENTS SINCE YOUR EXPERIENCE IS SPECIFICALLY IN FINANCE.

I THINK THAT ALL DEPARTMENTS SHOULD BE LOOKED AT.

SO TO CLARIFY, WE'RE JUST ASKING WHAT WAS THE RATIONALE OR THE REASON BEHIND THE INCREASE IN.

THEY'RE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE A RATIONALE, AN INCREASE OF.

SO YOU WANT VALIDATION OF. WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS WHAT SPECIFICALLY, WHAT VALUE DID IT BRING TO THE RESIDENTS OF REDONDO BEACH? THAT'S WHAT I THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE SHOULD ASK.

I MEAN, ANYTIME THAT YOU'RE BRINGING ON NEW STAFF, THERE'S GOT TO BE SOME KIND OF A CRITERIA OR A NEED THAT'S MET, RIGHT? YOU DON'T JUST WAKE UP ONE DAY AND SAY, TODAY WE'RE GOING TO HIRE SOMEBODY NEW BECAUSE WE'RE BORED, RIGHT? THERE'S GOT TO BE SOME. THE GOVERNMENT, IS THERE. WELL, AGAIN, AS YOU MENTIONED, MY EXPERTISE IS IN PRIVATE SECTOR, SO. SO THAT'S, THAT'S. I GUESS I'M ASKING MORE FOR CLARIFICATION.

BUT THERE'S GOT TO BE SOME UNDERLYING NEED, RIGHT? LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT ISN'T GETTING DONE, OR PERHAPS THE TASK IS CONTINUING TO GROW AND WE NEED TO BRING IN MORE STAFF IN ORDER TO COMPLETE SAID TASK. IS THAT. RIGHT, THAT'S THE RATIONALE.

USUALLY THAT'S THE RATIONALE. SO IF WE'RE ASKING ABOUT WHY THE BUDGET IS INCREASING, DOESN'T IT MAKE SENSE TO ASK WHAT IS THE CURRENT PROCESS OR RATIONALE BEHIND WHY WE'RE TRYING TO INCREASE THESE DEPARTMENTS ARE ALLOCATING MORE FUNDS TO IT.

RIGHT? IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE REASONING BEHIND WHY IT'S HAPPENING, RIGHT.

ARE WE SEEING THE SAME? I GUESS WHAT I'M. I'M JUST MAKING SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS.

THAT'S ALL. THE PROBLEM IS THAT OUR REVENUES ARE NOT INCREASING AT THE SAME RATE AS OUR EXPENSES. AND IN A LONG TERM, I FORESEE A BIG ISSUE.

CERTAINLY. HOW DO YOU CAN BE PROACTIVE AND GET AHEAD OF THAT? AND THE BIGGEST EXPENSES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR BUDGET IS AND EVERY CITY IS PERSONNEL.

I BELIEVE IT'S ALMOST 80% OR SOME. OKAY. IF YOU LISTEN TO WHAT WE'VE SAID THE LAST TEN MINUTES, WE'RE REALLY ARGUING OVER WHETHER WE SHOULD FOCUS ON JUST THE SUPPORT AREAS OR ALL AREAS, BECAUSE WE'RE SAYING THAT THERE'S THE POTENTIAL FOR MORE EFFICIENT OPERATION ACROSS THE BOARD, AND IF THERE IS THAT POTENTIAL, THEN WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT CERTAINLY AT SUPPORT, BUT THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL. OKAY. THE DISCUSSION ON THE HIRING FREEZE.

RIGHT. AND THEN I GUESS, WHAT'S THE CONCEPT OF IF SOMEBODY LEAVES A POSITION, IS THAT AUTOMATICALLY FROZEN AND REVIEWED OR IS IT.

YES. OKAY. YEP. SO UNDER THE FLEXIBLE HIRING FREEZE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING IN THE BUDGET, THIS WOULD JUST INVOLVE AN EVALUATION SIMILAR TO WHAT COMMISSIONER ALLEN SUGGESTING ACTUALLY FOR EACH POSITION AS IT COMES OPEN.

SO THAT'S WHAT THE CITY MANAGER'S COMMITTED TO DOING IS WE'LL, YOU KNOW, REALLY ACTIVELY MONITOR WHERE VACANCIES ARE AT.

AND WHEN A POSITION COMES OPEN, WHETHER BY RETIREMENT OR ANY OTHER REASON, THEN HE WILL EVALUATE WHETHER.

YEAH. WELL, OF COURSE THAT, THAT THAT ANALYSIS IS DIRECTED SPECIFICALLY AT THE 5% HIRING FREEZE FOR NEXT YEAR.

WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS A AS A LITTLE MORE IN DEPTH ANALYSIS OF THE ENTIRE OPERATION TO SAY, ARE THERE EFFICIENCIES THAT HAVE COME ALONG THAT WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO MAKE THAT 5% PERMANENT? OR MAKE IT 10%? I HAVE NO IDEA, AND I'M NOT FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH ANY OF THE OPERATIONS TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT.

[00:45:05]

BUT IT IS FAIR TO SAY THAT WE AS BUDGET AND FINANCE THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING AT.

SO FOR SHORT TERM VERSUS LONG TERM. FOR A LONG TERM, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT COMMISSIONER JESTE HAVE SAID THROUGHOUT THE YEARS THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT EVERYTHING LONG TERM GOAL.

THAT'S A BIG ASK AND THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT TO ACCOMPLISH.

YEAH, BUT WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS MORE SHORT TERM GOALS AND BABY STEPS.

WE START WITH ONE DEPARTMENT AT A TIME. IF WE DON'T START WITH BABY STEPS, THAT'S NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN.

BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS FOR HOW MANY YEARS NOW, AND IT'S NOT HAPPENING BECAUSE IT'S TOO BIG.

SO WE START BITING ONE BITE AT A TIME. WELL, I THINK EACH OF THESE DEPARTMENTS, EACH DEPARTMENT HEAD SHOULD BE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT KNOWING THAT REVENUE IS INCREASING. SLOWER THAN.

A COUPLE OF YEARS SLOWER THAN EXPENSES. EVERYONE WHO'S, WHO HAS PEOPLE REPORTING TO THEM SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THAT QUESTION.

CAN I BE MORE EFFICIENT? SO I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT'S NOT GOING ON.

THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE ALL DOING THAT. BUT ALSO THERE IS A PIE AND ALL DEPARTMENTS WANT A PIECE OF THAT PIE BECAUSE THERE IS A CERTAIN PIE AND EVERYBODY'S GOING TO GET A PIECE. SO WHO'S GOING TO GET THE BIGGEST PIECE? BUT THIS THIS GETS INTO THE QUESTION OF WHAT DOES AI DO FOR US? AND CLEARLY WE DON'T KNOW YET WHAT AI IS GOING TO DO.

IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE THINGS MORE EFFICIENT.

WELL, ONE EXAMPLE THOUGH, AND IT COULD BE AS THE IT DEPARTMENT NEEDS AN AI SPECIALIST.

THEY ADD ONE PERSON, THEY ADD A HEADCOUNT, AND THAT WILL AFFECT THE REST OF THE DEPARTMENTS IN A POSITIVE WAY, BECAUSE THEY'LL BE ABLE TO DO. THE AI SPECIALISTS.

TO TAKE SOMETHING OUT OF CONTEXT AND SAY, I CAN FOCUS ON THIS AND SAY THAT THIS SPECIFIC DEPARTMENT IS AN ISSUE WITHOUT REALLY UNDERSTANDING.

WELL, I MEAN, I MEAN, THE REASON I'M PICKING ON FINANCE IS BECAUSE WE'RE FINANCE COMMISSION AGAIN.

I CAN PICK ON. I DON'T THINK THAT'S A JUSTIFICATION FOR PICKING ONE DEPARTMENT.

LET'S PICK ON. I THINK WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT ALL OF THEM.

I DON'T THINK FINANCE IS ANY. I WOULD AGAIN, I WOULD NOT GO AFTER POLICE AND FIRE BECAUSE IF YOU I MEAN, YOU CAN LOOK AT THEIR EFFICIENCIES, BUT IF YOU'RE SUGGESTING TO PUT A FREEZE ON POLICE OR FIRE OR DECREASE THEIR PERSONNEL AS OF RIGHT NOW, TODAY, YOU'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO INCREASE THEIR EXPENSES BECAUSE THEN SOME HAVE TO WORK OVERTIME. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE.

THAT'S WHY I DON'T WANT TO RIGHT NOW FOR THE SHORT TERM.

I DON'T WANT TO EVEN THINK ABOUT POLICE OR FIRE, BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT OR WHATEVER IT IS WE'RE THINKING TO DO. SO I, THAT'S WHY I, THAT'S.

WHAT BOILS DOWN TO IS TWO SIMPLE WORDS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT.

BELIEVE ME, YOU DON'T NEED AI, YOU DON'T NEED COMPUTERS.

ALL YOU NEED IS PEOPLE WHO DO THEIR JOBS EVERY DAY YOU DEFINE THE PROCESS THAT THEY USE TO DO WHATEVER THEY ARE DOING, AND THEN THEY SEE.

THEN SEE IF IT CAN BE SIMPLIFIED, IMPROVED, OR STREAMLINED.

AND BELIEVE ME, I'VE DONE THIS IN THREE DIFFERENT COMPANIES FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS.

IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. IT'S NOT AI. IT'S NOT SUPER HIGH SPEED COMPUTERS.

IT'S PEOPLE WHO KNOW THEIR JOBS. ASK THEM WHAT THEY DO AND THEN SEE IF THERE'S ANY WAY YOU CAN SIMPLIFY IT AND STREAMLINE IT.

AND BELIEVE ME, THIS IS WHAT THE CITY OF FORT WAYNE DID.

AND THAT WAS 25 YEARS AGO. AND THERE WERE NO SUPERCOMPUTERS OR AI AT THAT TIME.

BUT THIS IS WHAT THE BUSINESS IS SMALL BUSINESSES AND LARGE CORPORATIONS HAVE DONE.

AND I GOT EXAMPLES, AND I THINK WE ALL AGREE.

WE ALL AGREE. WE ALL AGREE. BUT HOW DO WE ACTUALLY, IF WE MAKE A STATEMENT LIKE THAT, NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

WELL, THAT'S A BIG STATEMENT WE'RE ABLE TO DO IS MAKE A STATEMENT, IS TO MAKE A STATEMENT SAYING THAT WE THINK THAT.

THIS SHOULD BE A STATEMENT THAT'S ACTIONABLE, THAT'S FEASIBLE, THAT'S FEASIBLE AND ACTIONABLE.

WELL, IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE AND THAT'S I MEAN, GIVE ME A BETTER LIKE EITHER WAY, THERE'S NOT REALLY A WAY TO MAKE THEM DO ANYTHING THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO DO. BUT. WELL, THAT'S A, THAT'S A DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW.

[00:50:05]

AND THEY DECREASED THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS THEY SPEND ON CROSSING GUARDS.

YES. SO THEY SAVED HOW MUCH MONEY FROM THAT, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND, LET'S SAY A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND, HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING, APPROXIMATELY.

AND THEN YOU GO AND HIRE A FINANCE STAFF. THAT'S A, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT'S ABOUT HIRING A SINGLE STAFF IS BETWEEN 100 AND $200,000. SO REALLY, IS THAT THE VALUE YOU I MEAN, IS THAT REALLY HOW WE WANT TO SPEND OUR MONEY? I THINK IT'S HARD TO COMPARE THE TWO, RIGHT? BECAUSE HOW DO YOU QUANTIFY THE VALUE OF A FINANCE PERSON DOING DATA ENTRY VERSUS.

WHAT I'M. THE EXAMPLE I'M GIVING IS THINK WHERE WE'RE SPENDING MONEY, WHERE OUR EFFORTS ARE GOING, WHERE THE VALUE OF THE MONEY IS SPENT ON. BUT YOU'RE JASMINE WITH THAT STATEMENT, THOUGH, YOU'RE ASSUMING THAT THAT FINANCE DID NOT NEED A NEW PERSON.

AND WE DON'T KNOW THAT. THE REASON I. NO, NO, PERHAPS THEY NEEDED THE NEW PERSON WAS CRITICAL.

FROM OUR STANDPOINT. WE DON'T KNOW THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER.

ALL WE CAN SAY IS THAT YOU SHOULD, YOU HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AND BRING IN BEST PRACTICES AND BRING IN AI AND SEE IF THERE IS A WAY TO DO THINGS MORE EFFICIENTLY.

I DISAGREE WITH YOU, AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY. THIS WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED IN THE CITY OF EL SEGUNDO, BECAUSE THE MAYOR WOULD HAVE NEVER ALLOWED IT.

HE WOULD HAVE SAID, DO BETTER WITH LESS STAFF.

THAT'S I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT THEY DO IN EL SEGUNDO.

WELL, AGAIN, I'M NOT THAT FAMILIAR WITH EL SEGUNDO AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR THE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS IS FOR WHAT THEY'RE DOING THERE.

BUT TO MAKE A STATEMENT LIKE THAT FOR A DEPARTMENT WHERE WE DON'T KNOW THE INS AND OUTS OF THAT, OF THAT SPECIFIC DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, FINANCE IN YOUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT.

YOU'RE A FINANCE COMMISSIONER. YOU DON'T KNOW. YEAH, WE'RE A FINANCE COMMISSIONER, BUT.

NOT IN EL SEGUNDO. DO WE KNOW THE DATE, THE DATE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE? IF YOU CAN ASK HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY HAVE AND WHAT THESE PEOPLE DO.

YOU CAN'T. WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK ME THAT? A PERSON WHO LIVES AND BREATHES IT.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR. YEAH. OKAY. AGAIN, WHERE DO WE STAND ON THIS? WE ALL AGREE THAT THE CITY SHOULD BE LOOKING AT WAYS TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY.

WELL, THAT'S SUCH A BLUF STATEMENT. WELL, OF COURSE THAT'S NOT.

WELL, TO BE GET MORE SPECIFIC AND SAY FINANCE SHOULD SHOULD FIRE A PERSON IS TOTALLY RIDICULOUS.

I SAID DON'T FIRE PEOPLE. THAT'S THE FIRST THING I SAID.

I AM NOT SUGGESTING. IF YOU'RE SAYING IF YOU'RE SAYING THAT THAT HIRE WAS UNNECESSARY, THEN YOU ARE SAYING THAT IT'S UNNECESSARY AND THAT THEY NEED TO REDUCE THAT WHEN THEY HAVE PEOPLE LEAVING. WE NEED CONSENSUS. WE'VE GOT A CONSENSUS ON THE EFFICIENCY.

WE'VE GOT CONSENSUS ON LOOKING AT EACH NEW HIRE THAT COMES IN AND EVALUATING THAT.

AND THE ONLY AREA I THINK THAT WE, THAT I PERCEIVE THAT WE'RE DIFFERING IS.

JASMINE IS SPECIFICALLY FOCUSING ON ONE DEPARTMENT, AND I PERCEIVE THAT THE GENERAL CONSENSUS IS WE'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON ALL DEPARTMENTS, AND MAYBE WE CAN JUST TAKE A VOTE AND WE CAN MOVE ON THEN, BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY.

I WOULDN'T EVEN CALL DEPARTMENT ALL THE PROCESSES, INTERNAL PROCESSES, PROCESS EFFICIENCY IS THE BOTTOM LINE.

IT DOES NOT. NO ONE DISAGREES WITH THAT. YEAH, IT DOES NOT, YOU KNOW, POINT THE FINGER AT ANY PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT OR ANY PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL, BECAUSE I CAN SAY THAT'S WHAT HE SAYS CROSSING GUARD ONLY THAT ONLY THAT JASMINE'S POINT ABOUT PERSONNEL AND IT'S PROBABLY TRUE IS THE LARGEST EXPENSE. I THINK THAT'S THE PLACE TO BE FOCUSED, TO FOCUS ON AND SAY THAT MOVING INTO THE NEXT YEAR, LET'S BE VERY EFFICIENT ABOUT REPLACING ABOUT THE PERSONNEL FUNCTION GENERALLY AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE HIRING OF TASKS INVOLVED WITH THAT. THE FREEZES, I THINK THE FIRST A VERY GOOD FIRST STEP AND, AND, AND NOT AUTOMATICALLY REPLACING A POSITION JUST BECAUSE THERE'S A VACANCY AND THEN COMING BACK UP WITH GESTES OF SUGGESTION ABOUT THE EFFICIENCY OF THE, OF THE JOB AND GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

AND THE REASON I'M PICKING ON FINANCE, A, AGAIN, BECAUSE I'M A FINANCE COMMISSIONER I'M NOT AN IT COMMISSIONER.

THAT'S NOT A GOOD ENOUGH REASON. AND WELL B, FINANCE WAS THE ONLY DEPARTMENT THAT ADDED STAFF FROM THE PREVIOUS YEARS. CAN WE JUST ASK STEPHANIE, SO WHAT WAS THERE?

[00:55:03]

WELL, MAYBE THEY NEEDED TO ADD TEN PEOPLE AND THEY ADDED ONE.

BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE ISSUE FOR US. I THINK IN MAKING OUR STATEMENT BACK TO THE COUNCIL, I THINK LET'S MAKE LET'S INCORPORATE THAT, MAKE IT A MORE OF A GENERAL STATEMENT AND ALSO A BUDGET COMMISSION.

SO THERE YOU GO. LOOKING AT THE OVERALL BUDGET, NOT JUST THE FINANCE.

SO TO GET BACK TO WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE ON OUR LETTER, IF JUST SAYING THAT WE RECOMMEND LOOKING INTO OUR EFFICIENCIES IS TOO BROAD OF A STATEMENT. HOW DO WE GET OUR POINT ACROSS AND PERHAPS BE MORE SPECIFIC? IF WE ARE, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STAFF RIGHT NOW, THEN LET'S ACTUALLY REFER THE STAFF ON.

STAFF AND THE RETENTION PART ON STAFF. AND THEN BUT I ALSO WANT TO GO A LITTLE MORE MICRO AND NOT JUST NOT ANY STAFF.

I DON'T WANT TO FOCUS ON SERVICES. I DON'T WANT TO FOCUS RIGHT FOR RIGHT NOW FOR JUST FOR THIS PURPOSE OF THIS LETTER, FOR RIGHT NOW, SHORT TERM GOAL. I DON'T WANT TO FOCUS ON POLICE OR FIRE OR COMMUNITY.

THE SUPPORT SERVICES WOULD BE IT, FINANCE, HUMAN RESOURCES IS ALREADY THEY HAVE ONLY FOUR.

SO, SO WE DON'T NEED TO FOCUS. BUT SUPPORT SERVICES.

WHY DON'T WE DO THIS MR., COMMISSIONER WOODHAM.

WHY DON'T YOU JUST TAKE MAKE A QUICK STATEMENT, MAKE A STATEMENT SUMMARIZING IT.

TAKE A TAKE A VOTE AND SEE HOW WE WANT TO. DO THAT.

I THINK OTHERWISE EVERYBODY'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THEIR OWN OPINION. OKAY, LET ME SUGGEST THIS. WE AGREE THAT ULTIMATELY THIS ANALYSIS SHOULD BE DONE FOR THE ENTIRE OPERATION. YES. YES, I WOULD AGREE WITH JASMINE THAT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF HOW YOU IMPLEMENT IT, IT WOULD BE FINE TO SAY WE DO THE SUPPORT STAFF FIRST, DO THE SUPPORT DEPARTMENTS FIRST, AND THEN EXPAND IT TO OTHER AREAS.

SO CAN'T WE MAKE THE GENERAL STATEMENT THAT WE WANT TO THIS.

WHAT MIKE WITZANSKY IS GOING THROUGH WITH THE NEW POSITIONS FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS? WHAT WE'RE REALLY SAYING IS THAT SHOULD BE AN ONGOING, PERMANENT KIND OF ANALYSIS THAT YOU DO WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT HIRING SOMEONE.

AND WE CAN WE WANT WE CAN FOCUS INITIALLY ON THE SUPPORT FUNCTIONS, BUT THAT THAT ANALYSIS, THAT THINKING SHOULD COVER POLICE AND FIRE AND EVERYONE ELSE IN THE OPERATION ULTIMATELY ISN'T.

ISN'T THAT TRUE? DOES ANYONE DISAGREE WITH THAT? NO. ULTIMATELY, BUT THAT'S A BIG IF YOU'RE GOING TO GO AND ANALYZE WHAT POLICE DEPARTMENT DOING VERSUS WHAT IT DEPARTMENT IS DOING. I MEAN, THAT'S TWO THIRDS OF OUR MONEY IS, IS POLICE AND FIRE.

WHY WOULD WE EXCLUDE THAT FROM THE OPERATION? AND ULTIMATELY. BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE ACTUAL SERVICES TO THE RESIDENTS.

WE CAN'T SAY THAT THOUGH. PEOPLE WOULD TAKE OFFENSE TO THAT. REVENUE PROVIDES SERVICES AS WELL.

IT'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF SERVICE. WELL, SO JUST TO PLAY DEVIL'S ADVOCATE TO YOU IS THAT LET'S, FOR EXAMPLE, TAKE THE POLICE AND AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY ASSIGN IT.

I WOULD ASSIGN IT SOME KIND OF PER CAPITA, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF SAFETY OFFICERS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF CITIZENS.

WHAT IF THAT WAS IN EXCESS AND WE HAD MORE POLICE OFFICERS THAN WERE WARRANTED AND WE WERE FAR EXCEEDING OUR BUDGET.

BUT THAT'S BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE RESIDENTS WANT, BECAUSE THE CITY WORKS FOR THE RESIDENTS.

AGREED. BUT WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE AN LIKE AN ABUNDANCE OF POLICE OFFICERS WHERE THEY'RE JUST SITTING THERE, NOT HOW MANY PEOPLE DO FINANCE DEPARTMENT HAVE? WHAT DO YOU WHAT'S THE NUMBER? HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU THINK FINANCE DEPARTMENT HAS.

I UNDERSTAND THE POINT THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE, BUT IT'S TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS TOO MANY.

THAT IS YOUR OPINION THOUGH. IT'S NOT IT'S NOT MY OPINION.

DO COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES. WHY THOUGH IT'S NOT THE SAME.

THE PUBLIC DOESN'T KNOW, WHETHER THEY WANT THE NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS WE HAVE THERE OR NOT.

THEY WANT TO BE PROTECTED. YES. AND THEY WANT FIRES TO BE PUT OUT.

THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT THAT JOB TO BE DONE. THEY WANT TAXES TO BE COLLECTED.

THEY WANT THEY WANT THE SUPPORT STAFF TO DO WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE.

AND THEY HAVE SUPPORT STAFF AS WELL. ALL WE'RE SAYING, ALL WE'RE SAYING IS WE WANT THAT ANALYSIS TO BE TO BE DONE ON AN ONGOING BASIS.

I DON'T THINK THAT'S ANYTHING NEW, BUT IT'S WORTH IT'S A VERY GENERAL STATEMENT.

THAT'S A VERY GENERAL STATEMENT. WHAT IS COUNCIL GOING TO WHAT CAN THEY DO WITH THAT STATEMENT? ONE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION IS WE KEEP TALKING, LOOKING AT THE BOTTOM LINE, BUT WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT THE TOP LINE. AND I THINK REVENUES, JUST LIKE WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT, THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, IF IT IS SITTING DARK AND EMPTY, YOU KNOW, HALF OF THE YEAR, THEN WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PROMOTE IT. THE OTHER THING IS I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THIS.

IT'S ON PAGE 30, SAYS A PRINCIPAL NON-GOVERNMENT EMPLOYERS, THE

[01:00:09]

ALL THE OTHER NON-GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, EMPLOYERS ARE CHEESECAKE FACTORY AND RALPHS GROCERY, VONS, WHOLE FOOD MARKET. THIS IS THE LARGEST OF THE THREE CITIES, AND IT'S A SHAME THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ATTRACT OTHER CORPORATIONS TO ESTABLISH. NOT HEADQUARTERS, BUT AT LEAST SOME OFFICES HERE, BECAUSE THAT'S A HUGE REVENUE GENERATOR. AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE NOT DOING AS GOOD A JOB OF PROMOTING IT, BECAUSE A LOT OF AEROSPACE COMPANIES ARE COMING HERE AND SETTING UP FACTORIES AND OFFICES THROUGHOUT THE LA COUNTY, ORANGE COUNTY.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING TO PROMOTE THIS CITY AND OUR SERVICES.

SO THAT'S WHEN MIKE WAS HERE LAST TIME. IT'S A.

WE HAD A BIG DISCUSSION ON THAT SUBJECT, AND I.

I DID ASK WHAT THE CITY'S MARKETING PLAN IS. WHAT IS OUR MARKET? WHAT WHAT ARE WE DOING? AND HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT THE HOTELS HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT THEY MARKETING GROUP AND THEY'VE, THEY'VE, I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT OUTSOURCED, BUT THEY'VE ENGAGED THEM TO, TO.

SO THE INTEREST MAY BE BROADER THAN THAT PARTICULAR GROUP'S INTERESTS ARE.

SO THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION. SO THE SO THE CITY IS NOT ACTIVELY MARKETING OR DOING ANYTHING.

THAT'S, THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S DONE BY PRIVATE ENTITIES.

SO ONE OF OUR PROPOSALS CAN BE THAT CITY BECOMES ACTIVELY MARKETING.

YOU HAVE TO. SO I VOTE FOR THAT. THERE'S A POSITION THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

NOW. I THINK. COULD THAT BE COORDINATED? SHOULDN'T THAT BE BROUGHT IN TO, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR TO THE SUGGESTION THERE.

I THINK THEY ONLY DO THAT FOR HARBOR CITY OR HARBOR.

BEFORE WE GET OFF IN THIS DISCUSSION, LET'S GO BACK TO DECIDING WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SAY ABOUT THIS.

I MOVE THAT WE SAY THAT WE MAKE COMMENTS RELATING TO THE OVERALL EFFICIENCY OF THE CITY, AND THAT WE FOCUS INITIALLY ON SUPPORT. I WOULD AGREE THAT WE SHOULD START WE START WITH SUPPORT STAFF.

AND THAT'S OUR RECOMMENDATION. I AGREE. OKAY, SO WE CAN HAVE A COUPLE.

SO WE CAN START OFF WITH SAYING THAT OUR EXPENSES ARE INCREASING AT A HIGHER RATE THAN OR HOWEVER YOU WANT TO WORD IT THAN OUR REVENUES.

SO BECAUSE, AND OF COURSE, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE LONG TERM ISSUE THAT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.

YES. AND WE SEE A TREND THAT'S NOT STOPPING YET.

WE HAVE NO DATA THAT SAYS IT'S GOING TO BE ANY DIFFERENT NEXT YEAR OR THE FOLLOWING YEAR DUE TO THAT, THIS IS WHAT WE ARE SUGGESTING. AND SO WHAT YOU SAID, AND ALSO WHAT COMMISSIONER JESSE SAID, THAT WE NEED TO BRING IN REVENUE. THE CITY NEEDS TO ACTIVELY MARKETING OR DOING SOMETHING TO BRING IN REVENUE.

OF COURSE, AGAIN, FROM THE STANDPOINT OF REVENUE, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE POTENTIAL INCREASES IN REVENUE.

WE SIMPLY DO NOT KNOW WHEN OR IF THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

I THINK THE QUESTION IS REBALANCING THE EXPENSE TO REVENUE RATIO AS WE GET MORE TANGIBLE INFORMATION ON THE REVENUE SIDE, BALANCING THE EXPENSE SIDE, CONTINUALLY RESETTING THAT AS WE NEED TO DO TO BE PRUDENT IN TERMS OF THE.

I THINK THE COMMENT WOULD BE CURRENTLY WE SEE THAT TREND.

IF THAT IF THAT TREND CONTINUES, IT MAKES THIS EFFICIENCY OPERATION EVEN MORE IMPORTANT BECAUSE.

IF, RIGHT NOW WE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RATIO IS RIGHT NOW, BUT LET'S SAY IT GETS WORSE.

LET'S SAY IF WE GO INTO A RECESSION, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY, WE EXPECTED IT TO BE 80 TO 85%.

IT'S NOW IN THE 60S. IF IT DROPS TO THE 40S, THEN THE PROBLEM BECOMES WORSE.

IF THE PROBLEM BECOMES WORSE, IF THE REVENUE STARTS INCREASING, STARTS DECREASING, THEN WE'VE GOT A REAL PROBLEM.

SO ALL WE'RE SUGGESTING IS AS A WAY TO LOOK AT THE OPERATION AND BE READY TO REACT IF THAT TREND CONTINUES, RIGHT? YEAH. YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST THE HOTELS, BUT NOW THE NEXT TWO YEARS, WE HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE OLYMPICS.

AND THERE WILL BE SOME COMPANIES THAT MIGHT FIND THIS CITY VERY ATTRACTIVE BECAUSE IT'S CLOSE TO THE AIRPORT, CLOSE TO THE INTERSTATE AND CLOSE TO THE VENUES FOR SOME OF THE OLYMPIC EVENTS.

[01:05:05]

THAT'S ANOTHER GREAT POINT. AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DID BRING UP TO MIKE.

AND AGAIN, I THINK FROM MIKE, WHAT I GOT WAS THAT THE PRIVATE ENTITIES ARE HANDLING THAT THE CITY IS NOT.

RIGHT. YES, SIR. LET'S SEE IF WE CAN GET CLOSURE ON THE EFFICIENCY.

AND THEN I MEAN, WHAT HE SAID WAS GOOD. I MADE A MOTION.

IT WAS A VERY GENERALIZED STATEMENT. BUT YOU GET THE IDEA.

YES. YES, YES. NO, IT WAS GOOD. I AGREE WITH A SECOND AND LET'S VOTE ON THAT.

I'LL AGREE WITH THE MOTION. OKAY. OR SECOND. OKAY.

THAT WAS GOOD. STEPHANIE A QUESTION. SURE. I'M WE'RE NOT ABLE TO SEND A MEMO BACK TO BUDGET AND FINANCE AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING SAYING, AND YOU CAN APPROVE IT.

WE HAVE WE TRUST YOU. WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT AS LONG AS WE'RE OKAY WITH IT.

WE DON'T HAVE TO. OKAY. WELL, YOU COULD DO. I MEAN, YOU CAN'T ASK FOR FEEDBACK AND COMMENT, BUT YOU CAN SEND IT OUT FIRST. I MEAN, I'LL BCC EVERYBODY WHEN I SEND IT SO EVERYONE WILL SEE IT ANYWAY.

OKAY. OKAY, SO WE'VE GOT. I TRUST YOU. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE NEEDS TO LOOK.

I'M OKAY WITH IT. I'M FINE WITH IT. NO OTHER ITEMS ON THE LETTER.

SO THE REVENUE, DID YOU ADD THE REVENUE? YEAH.

THE, THE MARKETING PART THAT CITY NEEDS TO BE MORE INVOLVED THAN, THAN RELYING ON PRIVATE ENTITIES TO DO THIS.

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PROMOTING THE CITY. PROMOTING THE CITY, YEAH.

AND IT'S A PUBLIC MEETING, BUT I'M GOING TO SAY BECAUSE NO ONE WATCHES IT ANYWAY.

DO YOU GUYS REMEMBER EL SEGUNDO 20 YEARS AGO.

I WASN'T HERE. OH. I DIDN'T KNOW IF ANYONE REMEMBERED.

OR TEN, EVEN TEN AND HOW IT HAS GONE FROM HERE TO HERE.

THE MAYOR DID THAT. DREW BOYLES DID THAT. AND THAT WAS THE MENTALITY THAT HE TOOK.

HE SAID HE PERSONALLY WENT AND MARKETED THAT CITY AND BROUGHT IN ALL THESE BUSINESSES, NEGOTIATED WITH THESE BUSINESSES AND MADE EL SEGUNDO WHAT IT IS TODAY. I DON'T THINK IT'S POSSIBLE THAT HE'S DONE, BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S GEOGRAPHIC RESTRICTIONS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN REDONDO BEACH AND EL SEGUNDO DIDN'T HAVE AS WELL. IF TOP GOLF WANTED TO CALL TOMORROW AND SAY, LET'S OPEN UP ONE IN REDONDO BEACH, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO PUT IT? WE DON'T. I MEAN, AND AGAIN, I'M NOT DISCREDITING THE MAYOR, BUT HE HAD A HE HAD A NICE HAND THAT HE WAS DEALT AS WELL WITH A LOT OF AVAILABILITY.

I MEAN, WE CAN GO AND MARKET TO ALL THESE CORPORATIONS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE AEROSPACE COMPANIES THAT ARE IN EL SEGUNDO.

IF RAYTHEON SAID, OKAY, LET'S EXPAND. WHERE ARE WE PUTTING THEM? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH IT? RIGHT, WE DON'T HAVE TO BE LIKE EL SEGUNDO.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A MAN WHO HAD AN IDEA WHO HAD A VISION.

HE SAW WHAT TO DO AND HE DID IT. NOW, I'M NOT SAYING DO EXACTLY WHAT HE DID, BUT IT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE THAT YOU CAN GO FROM HERE TO HERE BY JUST SOMEONE HAVING A GOOD VISION AND, AND PUTTING MORE WORK INTO IT.

ISN'T ISN'T THE CITY TRYING TO DO THAT WITH THE ARTESIA, THE GALLERIA, THE ARTESIA CORRIDOR? AND IT'S DIFFICULT. IT IS DIFFICULT TO DO, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE DEALING WITH SEVERAL SMALL TRACTS.

WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT WITH THE OLD THE SHOPPING CENTER.

GALLERIA. GALLERIA. AND WE, WE FOUND GOOD DEVELOPERS.

THEY HAD A GOOD PLAN. INTEREST RATES INCREASED.

THEY COULDN'T, THEY COULDN'T SELL THE PLAN, COULDN'T MAKE IT WORK.

MAYBE WE COULD PUT A TOPGOLF WHERE THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER IS.

THERE YOU GO. LET THEM RUN IT. WELL, IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE ECONOMIC.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS IS CRITICAL TO.

THAT SHOULD BE ONE OF THE LOGICAL AREAS WHERE THE PROMOTION OF THE CITY IS IS HANDLED FROM THAT AREA THAT THAT PERSON OR THAT DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE GOING TO.

I AGREE BUSINESSES, I AGREE THEY NEED A STRONGER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

AND THAT'S WHAT EL SEGUNDO DID. THEY DIDN'T HAVE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.

AND HE CREATED THAT. AND HE GOT INTO ACTUALLY BEING ELECTED BY BECOMING A COMMISSIONER FOR THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONER, AND THEN HE BECAME A COUNCIL MEMBER AND THEN MAYOR. BUT THAT'S WE SHOULD INVEST MONEY INTO THAT, NOT INTO HIRING ANOTHER ACCOUNTANT. THAT WAS MY POINT, STEPHANIE.

THAT WAS MY POINT. HOW IS OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AREA STAFF NOW? HOW MANY PEOPLE AND WHO DO THEY REPORT TO? SO WE HAVE TWO DEPARTMENTS THAT LOOK AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

[01:10:07]

THEY DO KIND OF LOOK AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MORE BROADLY DESPITE BEING IN THAT DEPARTMENT.

THAT DEPARTMENT ONLY HAS FOUR FULL TIME EMPLOYEES.

AND THEN OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT ALSO DOES A LOT WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

GENERALLY. THEY ARE THE ONES USUALLY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE MEETING THE NEW BUSINESSES, THEY CALL THEM, THEY FIND OUT WHO WANTS TO MOVE IN. I THINK MIKE MENTIONED LAST TIME.

CITY MANAGER THAT THEY DO, THEY DO SOME MATCHMAKING.

RIGHT. SO THEY'LL, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY FIND OUT BUSINESSES THAT ARE INTERESTED IN MOVING THE CITY REACHES OUT CITY MEETS THEM.

SO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT DOES THAT.

JACOB, COULD YOU HELP ME LOOK UP THE NUMBER STAFF THEY HAVE IN? THEY HAVE 17. 17 IN COMMUNITY AND. THAT'S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. THAT'S NOT MARKETING. THAT'S WHERE YOU WHEN YOU'RE BUILDING, I GUESS, WHO IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, IS THERE ANYONE ACTUALLY DEDICATED TO KIND OF MARKETING OR NOT? NOT TO MARKETING. NO, NO. I'M JUST. I'M JUST ASKING.

OKAY. JUST I WAS ASKING A QUESTION. THANK YOU.

YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT NOT HAVING ENOUGH SPACE.

GO TO MANHATTAN BEACH AND SEE HOW MUCH SKECHERS SHOE COMPANY, HOW MUCH THEY HAVE BUILT AND HOW THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, CREATED SUCH A LARGE FOOTPRINT IN ONE SMALL CITY.

WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS AMAZING. AND IT CAN BE DONE IF IT IF THERE IS A LARGE CORPORATION THAT WANTS TO COME IN, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE VERY LARGE, NOT LIKE NORTHROP GRUMMAN.

IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE IT. BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE SPACE, GO AFTER SOME MID-SIZED SMALL COMPANIES I DON'T DISAGREE, I THINK SKECHERS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE, BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S ALSO UNIQUE IN ITSELF AS WELL.

THE OWNER OF SKECHERS LIVES ON THE STRAND IN MANHATTAN BEACH, SO IT BENEFITS HIM TO HAVE HIS CORPORATION WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF WHERE HIS HOUSE IS.

LIKE, DO WE HAVE A BILLIONAIRE CORPORATION OWNER THAT LIVES IN REDONDO BEACH? LET'S PETITION HIM TO START OPENING UP HIS HEADQUARTERS HERE.

YEAH, LET'S DO IT. I MEAN, THAT'S HOW YOU START.

THAT'S HOW IT STARTS. THAT'S HOW IT STARTED. BUT THAT'S.

BUT FOR THAT, YOU NEED. I THINK WE'RE ALL COMING TO THE SAME POINT HERE A LITTLE BIT, RIGHT? IT'S JUST A MATTER OF A LITTLE BIT OF AN OPINION OF WHERE WE SHOULD BE ALLOCATING FUNDS.

RIGHT. INSTEAD OF, FOR EXAMPLE, INSTEAD OF HIRING AN ACCOUNTANT, THEN WE HIRE PEOPLE TO MARKET.

YES. IT'S HARD TO SAY WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE NEED BEHIND.

WE MIGHT. VERY MUCH SO NEED THAT ACCOUNTANT, RIGHT? AND WE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW THAT INFORMATION.

SO I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AT FACE VALUE. A COP IS MORE VALUABLE THAN AN ACCOUNTANT.

BUT IF THAT ACCOUNTANT IS THE ONE ACCOUNTANT THAT IS PUSHING THE PAYROLL AND HE'S THE ONE THAT MAKES, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST SAYING AS AN EXAMPLE, LOOK AT IT.

WE'RE JUST SEEING THE NUMBERS, RIGHT? THERE'S NO RATIONALE OR CRITERIA BEHIND THE REASON WHY WE HIRED IT.

YOU'RE JUST SEEING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF WHAT THE PAYROLL IS COSTING US, RIGHT? YEAH. OUR FEELING IS THAT WE SHOULD IMPROVE OR FOCUS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? THAT'S THE OBJECTIVE THAT WE WANT TO INCLUDE IN THE LETTER.

YES. OKAY. YES. AND SO IN BRING VALUE. SO WHEN WE HIRE SOMEONE, THEY NEED TO BRING VALUE TO THE CITY, TO THE RESIDENTS. AND WE NEED TO FIND MORE OF THOSE FOLKS.

BUT AGAIN, THE GALLERIA IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW DIFFICULT THAT THAT IS TO DO, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE STARTING FROM AN ANTIQUATED BUILDING.

IF THAT WAS A TOTALLY EMPTY PARCEL OF LAND WITH 15 ACRES, IT WOULD BE TOTALLY DIFFERENT.

I THINK YOU COULD FIND WE COULD PUT TOP GOLF RIGHT THERE.

BOOM. PROBLEM SOLVED. YEAH. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DIFFERENT OUR CITY HAS DIFFERENT STRENGTHS THAN EL SEGUNDO, RIGHT? I MEAN, LOOK AT THE BEACH WE HAVE I MEAN, LOOK AT THIS ENDLESS WATER.

IT'S GOING TO TAKE THAT ONE GENIUS MIND TO COME AND CHANGE ALL THAT.

IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THE CITY. IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THE IT'S GOING TO BE THAT ONE PERSON.

AND IF YOU KNOW ANYONE, ANY, YOU KNOW, THOSE SMART PEOPLE, LET THEM KNOW TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE CITY.

IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ME. IT'S GOING TO BE SOME GENIUS THAT COMES AND SEES AN OPPORTUNITY AND HAS A VISION AND GOING TO MAKE IT.

WELL. I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S FOR LACK OF IDEAS THAT WE'RE NOT DOING IT.

THERE'S GOT TO BE. I MEAN, WHY IT DOESN'T TAKE A GENIUS TO FIGURE OUT SOME KIND OF A SOLUTION TO PUTTING THE GALLERIA BACK TO GOOD USE? THERE'S GOT TO BE SOME KIND OF RESTRICTION, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE COULD PROBABLY SIT HERE IN FIVE MINUTES AND COME UP WITH 5 TO 10 GREAT IDEAS FOR THE

[01:15:01]

WE HAD A WE HAD A, I MAKE YOUR MARGINS, THE WHOLE DESIGN AND BLUEPRINT FOR IT, BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON, AT THE LAST MINUTE, IT DIDN'T GET APPROVED. IS THAT CORRECT? THEY COULDN'T GET THE FINANCING FOR IT. I WOULD LIKE TO.

OKAY. I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST THREE MAJOR AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT.

ONE IS, OF COURSE PROMOTING OUR CITY MARKETING.

THAT'S ONE. SECONDLY, GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY, PROCESS IMPROVEMENT AND LOOKING AT BEST PRACTICES.

THIRD WOULD BE STRATEGIC PLANNING. THIS IS SOMETHING WE ARE NOT GOOD AT.

WE'RE VERY WEAK. IN FACT, IT IS NON-EXISTENT.

AND THOSE THREE AREAS, IF WE FOCUS ON THEM, I THINK SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM IT WILL HAVE A HUGE IMPACT.

SO YOU CAN JUST MENTION THOSE THREE AREAS AND WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT IT IF THE COUNCIL IS INTERESTED OR IF THE MAYOR IS INTERESTED. I AM COMFORTABLE MAKING THOSE THREE POINTS IN THE LETTER.

OKAY. I THINK THAT COVERS IT. YEAH. AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO ASK IS, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT AS CONCISE AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THEY'RE BUSY.

THEY'RE NOT GOING TO READ A STORY. JUST BE DIRECT AND BULLET POINTS SO THAT THEY JUST SEE IT BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT, IF THEY SEE IT MORE THAN A PAGE, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO READ IT.

OH, YEAH. YEAH. I MEAN, THIS IS THIS IS A PARAGRAPH.

YEAH. THREE SHORT PARAGRAPHS. OKAY. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE SHOULD INCLUDE ON THAT.

I AGREE THAT IT SHOULD BE SHORT. AND THOSE THREE AREAS ARE THE THREE KIND OF AREAS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ALL NIGHT.

OKAY, STEPHANIE, I'LL PUT PEN TO PAPER. FIRST THING IN THE MORNING OR MAYBE YET TONIGHT, AND GET IT TO YOU FIRST THING IN THE MORNING AND TO THE TO THE TO THE CITY COUNCIL. USUALLY UP BEFORE 6:00, SO ANY TIME.

AND YOU CAN ALSO SEND IT YOURSELF. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH.

STEPHANIE. YOU CAN. YOU CAN SEND IT. YOURSELF.

YEAH. SO OKAY, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT. YEAH. IT DOESN'T, THERE ARE NO LAWS PROHIBITING YOU FROM SENDING ALREADY.

SENDING ANYTHING. DON'T EVEN NEED ME. YEAH. YOU CAN'T CUT THE BUREAUCRACY.

YOU DON'T NEED TO FOLLOW. AND IT WILL SAVE HER TIME TOO, SO THAT SHE CAN WORK ON OTHER THINGS THAN SENDING EMAILS.

OKAY, BACK TO THE AGENDA. IF IT'S OKAY, I WOULD SUGGEST WE CONTINUE J.2 AND J.3 TO. SORRY FOR. JUST SORRY FOR THE INTERRUPTION.

JUST FOR THE RECORD. THERE ARE NO KNOWN ON ZOOM AND NO ECOMMENTS.

OKAY. THANK YOU. CONTINUE J.2 AND J.3 TO THE NEXT MEETING.

[K. COMMISSION MEMBER ITEMS AND FUTURE COMMISSION AGENDA TOPICS]

ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING MORE TO SUGGEST THAN WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED TONIGHT? ANYTHING TO REFER TO TO STAFF AND FINANCE? NO.

SO FOR J.2, J.3, IS THAT WHERE YOU ARE? WHERE ARE YOU? YEAH J.2, J.3. SO WE'LL JUST LEAVE IT ON THE ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT TIME.

YEP. AND NEXT TIME WE'LL ALSO HAVE THE TREASURER'S REPORT.

YEP. OKAY. DO YOU HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. MOTION TO ADJOURN.

SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. WE'RE ADJOURNED. YAY! THAT WAS A QUICK.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.