Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 306-08City of Palo Alto City Manager’s Report TO: ATTENTION: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES JULY 15, 2008 CMR: 306:08 REQUEST TO PRELIMINARILY APPROVE REAPPROPRIATIONS REQUESTS 2007-08 RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Finance Committee recommend that Council preliminarily approve the FY 2007-08 reappr0priations (Attachment A). BACKGROUND As a part of the year-end financial process, department staff works with the Administrative Services Department (ASD) to review outstanding financial obligations. In the course of regular operations, items can span two fiscal years in the processing--planning in one fiscal year and actual payment in the next. This necessitates carrying forward both encumbered and budgeted amounts. Council approves these carry-forward items in the year-end closing ordinance once the accounting books are closed. Staff utilizes the reappropriation process if base funding in the following fiscal year cannot accommodate the expense. In 1995, the Fiscal Procedures Chapter of the Municipal Code (Chapter 2.28, Section 2.28.090) governing reappropriations was amended to allow Council to preliminarily authorize reappropriatio.ns of non-capital budgets at the beginning of the fiscal year with final authorization to be made at the time of adoption of the budget closing ordinance. The purpose of this was to ease. difficulties experienced by the departments caused by the delayed, final approval of the reappropriations where the reappropriation was justified and sufficient funds from the prior year were clearly available. Preliminary approval allows the department to continue with normal operations and spend the funds as of the Council’s preliminary approval date rather than the year-end ordinance approval date. DISCUSSION With the implementation of SAP, there is an opportunity to take advantage of system efficiencies by allowing the system to automatically post the previous year’s reappropriations with other encumbered, carry-forward funds as of the beginning of the new fiscal year. As noted above, the Municipal Code allows the "preliminary" approval of reappropriations as long as final approval CMR:306:08 Page 1 of 2 is included with the normal year-end closing ordinance. The preliminary reappropriation action allows for an early review of uncommitted funds in a just-concluded fiscal year. Attachment A identifies those reappropriation requests that ASD recommends for preliminary approval. RESOURCE IMPACT Staff has determined that sufficient uncommitted budgeted funds exist to allow for the preliminary approval of the attached 2007-08 reappropriations list (Attachment A). General Fund proposed reappropriations total $647,719. POLICY IMPLICATIONS This recommendation is consistent with adopted Council policy. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The action recommended is not a project under Section 21065 for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act. PREPARED BY: DEPARTMENT HEAD APPROVAL: DALE WONG d~"; Senior Financial Anal ~st LALO P~ - Direc,tor, Administrative Services CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: STEVE Deputy City ers MORARIU ATTACHMENT Attachment A: 2007-08 Reappropriations List CMR:306:08 Page 2 of 2 Attachment A 2007-08 REAPPROPRIATION REQUESTS $ I I COMMENTS/REASONS AMOUNT INTENDED USE FOR NOT COMPLETING IN 2007-08 STATUS City Man ager’s Office $81,000 $30,919 Climate Protection Plan (CPP) Document Archiving and Library Plan/Public Safety Building Project This reappropriation is being requested for additional project funding to assist departments in achieving CPP goals as mandated by Council. The request is also for a consultant / department backfill for additional staff time to help implement a plan for greenhouse gas reductions within the community. In 2007-08, staff completed a cost-benefit analysis of CPP recommendations under budget. These savings can be applied in 2008-09 to implement the plan. This reappropriation is being requested for the document conversion of CMRs which did not occur as planned in 2007-08 due to ’ unanticipated deparmlent priorities. The request is also for the Library Plan/Public Safety Building Project which overlaps two fiscal years. Recommended $81,000. There is sufficient balance in the Fiscal Year 2007-08 budget that can be reappropriated. Recommended $30,919. There is sufficient balance in the Fiscal Year 2007-08 budget that can be reappropriated. Page 1 of 2 $ I COMMENTS/REASONS AMOUNT INTENDED USE FOR NOT COMPLETING IN 2007-08 STATUS Planning Department $60,800 Study of parking permit program for College Terrace This reappropriation is being requested for the study of a residential parking permit program in College Terrace. On October 25, 2001, as a condition of their General Use Permit with Santa Cl.ara, Stanford University paid $100,000 to the City for study of a residential parking permit program in College Terrace. Funds were held in a deposit account until they were ready for use. At mid-year 2007-08, the City Council authorized moving the funds into the Transportation Section budget and proceeding with the study. The $60,800 remaining is reserved specifically for that project to implement any re(ommendations adopted by the City Council. Transportation Section will report back to the City Council with the consultant’s reconamendations in late Summer 2008. Implementation will begin at that time if the City Council moves forward with the project. Implementation of a parking permit program is not anticipated in the 2008-09 budget. Recommended $60,800. There is sufficient balance in the Fiscal Year 2007-08 budget that can be reappropriated. Non-Departmental $475,000 Salary Contingency This reappropriation is being requested for the Management and Professional group which includes the compensation study that will be completed in 2008-09. In addition, the Fire Chiefs Association will be receiving a salary increase and two years of retroactive pay in 2008-09, per the negotiated contract agreement. The contract was agreed upon after the 2008-09 Proposed budget was prepared and the amounts were not included. Recommended $475,000. There is sufficient balance in the Fiscal Year 2007-08 budget that can be reappropriated. Page 2 of 2