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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-01-19 City CouncilTO: ATTENTION: FROM:’ City of Palo Alto City Manager’s Report HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT:ADMINIS~TIVE SERVICES DATE:JANUARY 19, 200ff CMR:436:99 SUBJECT:1998-99 YEAREND REPORT ON DEPARTMENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ON MISSION DRIVEN BUDGET KEY PLANS AND IMPACT MEASURES This is an informational report andno~Council action is required. ~ : DISCUSSION Periodic performance reporting on key plans and impact measures to Council by City departments is an integral component of the Mission Driven Budget (MDB)~ It is through these measures that staff is held accountable to use budgeted appropriations to perform the services for which the funding was intended. Earlier this year, Council received the Midyear Progress Report (CMR: 174:99) on key plans and impact measures, which detailed departmental progress in the first and second quarters of 1998-99. All City departments have again submitted information on the status of their key plans and impact measures for 1998-99, which is included in the attached report.. As noted at midyear, there were changes to the Chart of Accounts to better reflect services provided to several departments. The format of the Yearend Report differs from that of the Midyear Progress Report in order to provide more global information on department achievements, rather than focusing only on those exception areas where original goals were not met. This year a new section has been added to the report. This section, .Highlights of City Accomplishments, is intended to call out some of the significant milestones achieved by the City during the year. CMR:436:99 Page 1 of 2 The flrs.t section of the report contains a department or fund overview, which is designed to ~ive departments a chance to report on those tasks accomplished which are not part of their -key plans or"on~.those key plans which are viewed as being especially critical. This is follow, edby a department orfund report on each key plans and all impact measures. As was true in the Midyear Progress Report, departments were asked to explain those impact measures, which showed a variance of plus or minus 20 percent. !n addition, the column headings for impact measures have b~en changed from prior years to be consistentwith the 1999-01 Adopted Budget column headings. The column, 1998-99 Estimated Actuals, reflects impact measures that were either revised at midyear or remained consistent with theAtt0pted ’Budget. In previous years, this column was titled Adjusted Budget. The two titles, E~tim~tted~Actuals ~and Adjusted Budget, should be viewed as synonymous. :ATTACHMENT. : 1998-~9 Highlights of City Accomplishments 1998-99 Department Overview, Key Plans and Impact Measures PREPARED BY: Myrna McCaleb, Senior Financial Analyst DEPARTMENT HEAD APPROVAL: CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:Direltor, Adfiain~ Services CMR:436:99 Page 2 of 2 1998-99 Highlights of City AccomplishmentS Fi.scal Year Ending June 30,. 1999 Inside this Issue 1 Comprehensive Plan Y2K Golf Course 2 2 2 3 3 3 Sand Hill Road San Francisquito Creek Bank Stabilization Infrastructure Traffic/ Transportation Development Center Historic Preservation Ordinance Library 3 PAMF/SOFA City of Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan their Y2K readiness, and upgraded and replac~,non-compliant systems. After five years of collaborative Another component of the project development with citizens, businesses,provides for community awareness and advisory boards, and the Planning ~ ..~ preparation for residents.Commission,;the City Council /,-~" ~ ~ To educate the public adopted iahe 1~98-2010 " " ~g- .’~ ~.,~~ staff held communityComprehensive Plan. The Palo k ~ "’~’-~~i~ meetings, prepared and Alto C~mprehensive Plan ~,~ distributed embodies the City’s vision !g[ ~ ~~ _~| informationalfliers, for the future, and provides ~.~ ~ "~~"~ fl" and~velopedaY2K guidance for future :~ ~~ websit~ In addition, development of the City. Its use as an.~dd~.rneas~ of as a planning tool is invaluable.’ assuran~ designated City The Comprehensive Plan extends . twelve years into Palo Alto’s future, and addresses elements related to housing, transportation, community facilities and services, the natural environment, land use and community design, business and economics, and governance. In 1998-99, staff completed an implementation plan that was added to the Comprehensive Plan by amendment. In 1999430, for the first time staff integrated the Comprehensive Plan into the City’s Budget and Capital Improvement Program. Y2K Since 1996, the City of Palo Alto has been working to minimize the effects of the Year 2000 (Y2K) problem on City services and the citizens and businesses of Palo Alto. This year, staff has worked hard to ensure a smooth transition to the new millennium. Staff has conducted extensive Y2K compliance testing, obtained certification from vendors concerning staff including Eire and Police personnel will been dirty January i, 2000, to respond tO potential public health and safety emergencies and answer resident inquiries. Goff Course To undertake the Golf Course Master Plan Improvements, Council approved the sale of $8.6 million in Revenue Bonds. Proceeds were used to fund general golf course improvements and to finance infrastructure upgrades to the irrigation and drainage systems. These improvements were completed in July 1999. Customer reactions to renovations at the Golf Course have been very favorable. oooooooooooooooooooooooooo Sand Hill Road City staff has been extensively involved in working with Stanford University to accomplish the objectives set fourth in the August 1997 Devel6pment Agreement between Stanford University and the City of Palo Alto. While major construction is scheduled for 1999- 00 and beyond, City staff assisted with several major 1998-99 ¯ activities such as, providing assistance with processing final Architectural Review Board approvals for the new shopping center parking projects, Stanford West Apartments, and roadway projects including the Sand Hill Road widening and extension. The City Attorney’s Office played a key role in the ruling to uphold the validity of the Sand Hill Corridor Environmental Impact Report. Public Works, Utility and Planning staff provided oversight and inspection of the initiation of utility and roadway construction fo~ the Stanford West Aparmaents, the Palo Road and Stock Farm Road construction, and the Stanford Shopping Center Parking Garage. San Francisquito Creek In response to the winter storm of February 1998, the San Francisquito Creek Coordinating Committee, comprised of representatives from local communities, sought approval to form a Joint Powers Authority (;JPA) to mutually address creek-related issues. The JPA of which Palo Alto is a member, serves as a review board for projects that might have an impact on the creek, and works to develop and institute environmentally acceptable guidelines for use by all local creek bank communities. To adequately access the condition of the creek the City of Palo Alto joined Menlo Park in developing a scope of work for the San Francisquito Creek Bank Stabilization and Revegetation Study. The focus of the study is to develop creek bank stabilization and revegetation guidelines that can be used by creek side property owners to repair storm damage and to prevent future creek bank failure during winter rains. The study is also designed to address environmentally acceptable creek bank restorations and assist policy makers in making decisions for future creek policies and procedures. Infrastructure In response to City Council concerns regarding the condition of the City’s aging infrastructure and the level of funding required for rehabilitation, an interdepartmental task force was formed to report on the condition of the City’s existing infrastructure. The task force identified and reported on the infrastructure backlog, analyzed current funding levels, and developed a long-term infrastructure plan to identify and fund future needs. As a result of task force efforts Council established an Infrastructure Reserve in fiscal year 1997-98. In June 1998, Council approved an Infrastructure Management Plan that establishes a methodology for prioritizing and financing projects to rehabilitate existing infrastructure. Council has approved a funding plan for $74 million of the $95 million needed to finance the infrastructure projects. To meet all of the needs identified in the Infrastructure Management Plan, staff will continue to explore ways to supplement the infrastructure reserves with other funding options. The 1999-01 Adopted Budget includes funding for the first year of infrastructure projects. Traffic/ Transportation As the local and regional economies continue to flourish both residents and the City Council recognize the need to place an emphasis on traffic management and transportation. Traffic projects completed during fiscal year 1998- 99, include a plan for a community based shuttle bus service and completion of an Embarcadero Road traffic calming study. To provide education through community outreach the City sponsored a day-long workshop on "Walkable Communities". Additionally, the City Council expanded the role of the Planning Commission to create a Planning and Transportation Commission. The Commission will recommend measures to make Palo Alto transportation safer, more effective, environmentally friendly, and a contributor to community quality of life. Development Center In response to demands for improved customer service the City Council assigned staff to explore options for streamlining the permit process for residents and businesses seeking to build in Palo Alto. Over a two-year study period the task force identified 60 potential action items which included, Historic Preservation Issues related to historic preservation were of great interest to Palo Alto residents this year.. On June 28, 1999,. the City Council adopted an ordinance, which outlines rules related to historic properties in Palo Alto. A referendum petition to repeal the ordinance has been certified by the City Clerk and the outcome of its status will be determined on March 7, 2000. Pending this outcome, the interim historic regulations remain in effect. PAMF/SOFA As a result of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s (PAMF) move to its new campus on E1 Camino Real, the south of Forest Avenue significant improvements in customer service and process standardization. In order to implement many of the objectives identified by the task force, the need for a development center was identified. In 1998, Council authorized staff to implement a development center. The Development Center located at 285 Hamilton, opened its doors on March 15, 1999. It provides users with a convenient single point of contact for building permits, general planning and zoning information, and other development services. The Development Center serves approximately 1500 customers monthly. Customer satisfaction surveys indicate a strong positive reaction to Development Center operations. Library The draft Library Master Plan was completed in March 1998. It was developed as a tool to guide Palo Alto libraries into a new century. The plan incorporates input from community focus groups, comparisons with other libraries, and national public library research. The plan highlights state-of-the-art technology, improved customer service, and an expansiye and improved library collections system. Discussion and action on the draft Library Master Plan was deferred until formation of the Library Commission was instituted. The Commission was formed in March 1998, and is expected to make a recommendation in 1999-00. City of Palo Alto Credit Rating In 1998-99, the City of Palo Alto received the highest general city credit rating possible (AAA) from both Standard and Poor’s (S&P) and Moody’s Investor Services. Palo Alto is the first city in California to obtain an AAA rating from S&P since the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978. Moody’s has issued only one other AAA general city credit rating recently. These changes will affect future housing construction, open space utilization, and the historic preservation of homes and resources, while encouraging private investment and cultural and economic diversity in the area. To maximize potential development options(SOFA) neighborhood is changing. Local residents ~ and City officials have seized a dynamic opportunity to re-engineer the area landscape and promote vitality in the neighborhood, by establishing policies that will direct a wide range of compatible land use changes. City staff worked in conjunction with a Council-appointed 14 member SOFA Working Group and various City boards and commissions to present a shared vision for the area. The PAMF/SOFA Area Coordinated Area Plan is in the process of City Council review. THIS ITEM WAS PACKETED EARLY. COPIES OF THE COMPLETE REPORT ARE AVAILABLE IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DEPARTMENT