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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-11-13 City Council (18)TO: FROM: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL CITY MANAGER City of Palo Alto City Manager’s Report DEPARTMENT: PLANNING AND COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT DATE:NOVEMBER 13, 2000 CMR:389:00 SUBJECT:APPROVAL OF BUDGET AMENDMENT ORDINANCE TO INCREASE THE TABLE OF ORGANIZATION BY 2.5 FTE’S FOR THE ZONING ORDINANCE UPDATE RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the attached Budget Amendment Ordinance (BAO), which revises the Table of Organization by adding 2.5 full time equivalent (FTE) employees for two years to the Department of Planning and Community Environment to work on the Zoning Ordinance Update project. BACKGROUND In 1998, the City Council adopted an updated Comprehensive Plan which included approximately 50 programs and policies which would be implemented through the update of the Zoning Ordinance. On May 15, 2000, the City Council included the update among its five highest priorities for the coming year. The City Council directed staff to prepare a work program to initiate the update effort. The work program was presented to and accepted by the Planning and Transportation Commission on July 12, 2000. The project was discussed at City Council’s study session on September 18, 2000 (CMR:367:00). The work program includes a timeline, summary of resources, and proposal to add 2.5 positions to the Planning and Community Environment Department for the duration of the work program. DISCUSSION Staff has developed an intensive program to update the City’s Zoning Ordinance over the coming two years. The work program proposes that Planning staff will prepare the bulk of the document, with active involvement from the City Attorney’s Office. CMR:389:00 Page 1 of 3 The Zoning Ordinance work program includes augmenting existing staff with one full- time Senior Planner, one full-time Planning Technician, and one half-time Office Specialist, for a total of 2.5 additional FTEs. The Senior Planner and Planning Technician are necessary to back-fill for veteran staff assigned to the Zoning Ordinance Update team. The half-time Office Specialist will provide the team with clerical and administrative support. This additional staff is required to meet the two-year timeframe of the work program, without eroding service levels for existing projects and initiatives. Alternatives to adding staff for the Zoning Ordinance Update would involve either lengthening the project by relying more extensively on available staff or increased use of consultants. Increased use of consultants would likely increase the total project cost. At the conclusion of the Zoning Ordinance Update, additional staff resources should no longer be necessary. Staff proposes to reduce staff size by 2.5 FTEs through attrition, and will propose a corresponding reduction in the Table of Organization upon completion of the project. RESOURCE IMPACT The estimated cost of the positions in 2000-01 is $110,000 for the period of December 2000 through June 2001. Staff proposes to fund the salary and benefit costs for 2000-01 through reappropriated funding from the 1999-00 Planning and Community Environment Department budget. Proposed reappropriation requests will be presented to Council in January. Consequently, the amendment to the Table of Organization proposed in the attached BAO will not impact the Budget Stabilization Reserve in 2000-01. In future years ongoing General Fund costs associated with adding the proposed 2.5 FTEs are $188,000. These positions will be funding in future year budgets for the duration of the Zoning Update project. After the project has been completed, it is anticipated that these positions will be eliminated from the Table of Organization through attrition. Attachment B summarizes the BAOs approved to date in 2000-01 that impact the General Fund BSR. The attachment also estimates future year ongoing costs associated with BAOs approved to date to provide a projection for the future resource needs from the General Fund for those programs approved after the adoption of the 2000-01 budget. POLICY IMPLICATIONS This recommendation does not represent any change to existing City policies. CMR:389:00 Page 2 of 3 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The recommended action is not subject to environmental Environmental Quality Act. review under the TIMELINE Staff anticipates having the positions filled by December 2000. ATTACHMENTS _~ttachment A: Attachment B: Budget Amendment Ordinance (BAO) Exhibit A: Planning Department Table or Organization Budget Amendment Ordinances Impacting the General Approved to Date in 2000-01 California Fund PREPARED BY: Heather Shupe, Administrator DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW: G. EDWARD GAWF Director of Planning and Community Environment Assistant to the City Manager CMR 389:00 Page 3 of 3 ORDINANCE NO. ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO AMENDING THE BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2000-01 BUDGET ADDING 2.5 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT POSITIONS IN THE PLANNING AND COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT FOR THE ZONING ORDINANCE UPDATE PROJECT WHEREAS, pursuant to the provisions of Section 12 of Article III of the Charter of the City of Palo Alto, the Council on June 19, 2000 did adopt a budget for fiscal year 2000-01; and WHEREAS, the Planning Department has developed an intensive program to ,update the City’s Zoning Ordinance over the next two years; and WHEREAS, the Zoning Ordinance Work Program includes the addition of 2.5 full-time equivalent positions represented by one Senior Planner, one Planning Technician and one half-time Office Specialist; and WHEREAS, funding for the additional positions in 2000-01 will be provided out of reappropriated funding from the 1999-00 Planning and Community Environment Department budget; and WHEREAS, City Council authorization is needed to amend the Table of Organization in the 2000-01 budget as hereinafter set forth. NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto does ORDAIN as follows: .. SECTION i. The Table of Organization as amended to reflect changes shown in the attached Exhibit A is hereby approved. SECTION 2. This transaction will not impact the General Fund Budget Stabilization Reserve (BSR) in 2000-01. Future year ongoing costs of $188,000 are anticipated for the 2.5 full-time equivalent positions. SECTION 3. As specified in Section 2.28.080(b) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code, a majority vote of the City Council is required to adopt this ordinance. SECTION 4. The Council of the City of Palo Alto hereby finds that this is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act and, therefore, no environmental impact assessment is necessary. SECTION 5. As provided in Section 2.04.350 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code, this ordinance shall become effective upon adoption. INTRODUCED AND PASSED: AYES: NOES: ABSTENTIONS: ABSENT: ATTEST:APPROVED: City Clerk Mayor APPROVED AS TO FORM:City Manager Senior Asst. City Attorney Director of Services Administrative Director of Planning Community Environment and Exhibit A TABLE OF ORGANIZATION - GENERAL FUND 1999-00 Adjusted 2000-01 Budget Adopted 2000-01 Changes 2000-01 Adjusted Bud~let Planning & Community Environment Administrator, Zoning Administrator, Planning & Community Environment Administrative Assistant Assistant Building Official Assistant Planning Official Associate Planner Building Inspector Building Inspector Specialist Building/Planning Technician Chief Building Official Chief Planning Official Chief Transportation Officer City Traffic Engineer Code Enforcement Officer Director, Planning and Community Environment Engineer Executive Secretary Manager, Planning Managing Arborist Office Specialist Planner Plans Checking Engineer Senior Planner Staff Secretary Supervisor, Building Inspection 1.00 1.00 0.00 1.00 1.00 2.50 3.00 3.00 5.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 2.00 1.00 2.00 2.00 1.00 1.00 4.50 3.00 3.00 7.00 2.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 2.00 1.00 2.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 5.50 7.50 3.00 7.00 2.00 1.00 1.00 0.50 1.00 1.00 ! .00 1.00 1.00 1.00 0o00 3.00 3.00 4.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 2.00 1.00 2 00 1.00 1.00 1.00 6.00 7.50 3.00 8.00 2.00 1.00 Totals 51.00 52.00 2.50 54.50 City of Palo Alto ATTACHMENT B Budget Amendment Ordinances Impacting General Fund Reserves Approved-To-Date in 2000-01 BAO Description Placeholders Impact on the EstimatedAlready in the General Fund Future YearCostRevenue 2000-01 Adopted BSR Ongoing CostsBudget Estimated Beginning Budget Stabilization Reserve (BSR) Balance Adopted Budget Addition to BSR Public Safety Building- CIP 19820 Planning Transcription Services Office of Transportation Safety Grant Cubberley Theatre Chiller Replacement - CIP 10120 Arts Council Silicon Valley Grant Police Department Grants (1) Zoning Ordinance Update Office Space Renovation - CIP 10020 $13,385,753 $1,075,000 ($74,000)($74,000) ($40,000)($40,000)$40,000 ($187,065)$187,065 $0 $17,000 ($22,000)($22,000) ($5,192)$5,192 $0 ($277,314)$277,314 $0 $0 $0 $0 $188,000 $4i 1,000 $156,000 ($255,000) BSR Balance After BAO’s [ $14,069,753 ] -- (1) Of this amount $121,259 will be deposited in the General Fund and $156,055 deposited in the Special Revenue Fund.