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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-11-13 City Council (28)TO: City HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL City of Palo Alto Manager’s ReP2 FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: CITY MANAGER CMR: 415:00 DATE: SUBJECT: NOVEMBER 13, 2000 SUMMARY OF RESULTS INFRASTRUCTURE OF PUBLIC FORUM ON BACKGROUND On Monday, October 30, the City of Palo Alto held a public forum to solicit community input on the topic of the City’s infrastructure needs and how to fund them. The meeting was called by Mayor Liz Kniss in response to community concerns that surfaced after the recent defeat of the proposed storm drain fee increase. Approximately 150 people attended the forum, which was held at the Palo Alto Art Cen- ter auditorium. The session was informal, with chairs placed in concentric circles and Council Members seated with the audience. Vice Mayor welcomed the participants, stated the purpose of the meeting, and introduced City Manager Frank Benest, who mod- erated the discussion. Participants were given a handout that detailed infrastructure categories and sample proj- ects. Participants were also handed a card and asked to answer three questions: 1.What are your priorities in respect to infrastructure and publie faeilities? 2.To make informed choices, what kind of information do you need from the City? 3.What else would you like to tell us as we prepare to engage Palo Alto citizens in the Infrastructure challenge? Participants were asked provide contact information and indicate if they wanted to re- ceive a summary report from the meeting, if they wanted to be invited to future meetings, and if they were willing to consider hosting a "Family-Room Dialogue." DISCUSSION Eighty-six response cards were returned. The responses are summarized below. CMR:415:00 Page 1 of 4 What are your priorities in respect to infrastructure and publicfacilities? More than half the participants stated that they wanted the City to take care of the ba- sics first -- better maintenance of streets, sewers, storm drains, and equipment related to emergency services. Beyond the basics, there was strong support for libraries, the Art Center, and the Junior Museum. Participants felt strongly that these items were part of what makes Palo Alto a unique community and that their maintenance and expansion should be the highest priority for the City. There was a vocal contingent in support of fiber to the home as a priority project for the City and individuals spoke in favor of using technology to deliver City services and information. Other top priorities expressed by participants were flood control projects, traffic calming projects, parks and open space improvements, shuttle service, new police building, watershed management, performing arts center, and affordable housing for Police officers and Firefighters. The wide-ranging special interests of the participants reflected the scope of the chal- lenge the community faces in prioritizing. Said one participant, "I look at the list of ’infrastructure stuff handed out and think ’Wow -- where do you start?’" To make informed choices, what kind of information do you need from the City? Answers fell into three categories: what people wanted to know about projects, what they needed to know about the City’s budget, and what form they wanted the infor- mation to take. For infrastructure projects, participants wanted the details of each project, including the cost of proposed changes, the benefits, the cost of inaction, and alternatives. "The public needs a clear grasp of short-term details and plans, so they can support them," said one respondent. The participants asked for timelines and budgets for each new proposed project, as well as realistic cost estimates and maintenance schedules for existing infrastructure. Reflecting on the long list of projects and proposals, one participant asked, "How does the City set priorities?" The participants asked for budget’ information that details costs of specific infra- structure items in terms of how much a project or service will cost each family and for how long. There was also interest in a service delivery cost comparison with nearby cities. Other requests were for a comparison of population growth and City CMR:415:00 Page 2 of 4 staff growth, and a personnel count by department. Respondents asked for informa- tion on the budget development process, and an explanation of which projects are covered under the General Fund and which are separately funded, and why. Several participants asked for an accounting of the City’s use of consultants. Expressing the need for more frequent information from the City to. build confidence in local government, many respondents expressed their preference for informal meetings such as the forum. "Keep meeting and listening," said one. Another respondent expressed frustration with second-hand information: "Newspa- pers are not a reliable source. We need to hear about problems that exist from the City -- not newspapers." Many people wanted more complete information on the City’s web site and looked for opportunities for interactive participation online. The consensus of the group was that the City needs to use a variety of means to reach out to a wider public. Said one participant, "Keep us informed and part of the proc- ess." What else would you like to tell us as we prepare to engage Palo Alto citizens in the Infrastructure challenge? This question elicited a wide variety of responses. Some people urged the City to ex- plore creative financing options, establish partnerships with businesses, and mobilize residents with particular interests to help fund special projects. Several residents expressed the need to find a balance between business and residen- tial needs. Others took a narrower view and wanted the City to take forceful action on their particular issues, i.e., banning the use of cell phones by drivers, disallowing more job growth in Palo Alto, and killing plans for traffic roundabouts. NEXT STEPS In response to the community’s wish for more frequent, more detailed, and varied com- munication from the City regarding infrastructure and budgeting issues, the City plans a special public outreach effort including: Community meetings In January and February of 2001, the City Manager will hold a series of informal com- munity meetings to discuss infrastructure needs and funding mechanisms. The meetings will be well publicized and the City will issue special invitations to neighborhood asso- ciations. CMR:415:00 Page 3 of 4 Special meetings The Chamber of Commerce will host a breakfast meeting for businesses to talk with the City Manager about their priorities and concerns. In addition, the City will hold a special meeting for service groups on the same topic. Family-Room Dialogues The City Manager will facilitate five meetings hosted by residents in their homes. meetings will bring together neighbors to talk informally about priorities and issues. The Community Newsletter The first issue of the new community newsletter, planned for January 2001, will focus on infrastructure and budget issues. Budget materials To facilitate the community discussion on budget issues, Administrative Services will produce a "budget primer" that will detail revenue sources, expenditures, and an analysis of expenditures. A "citizen benefit statement" will spell out the average resident’s contri- butions toward the services he receives. In addition to being printed and posted on the City’s web site, the 2001-2003 budget Will be available on CD-ROM. Web site By the end of 2000, the City will create a special multimedia web site on infrastructure that will bring together various information sources about the City’s current and future infrastructure. Infrastructure Fair The City will hold a community event at the Municipal Services Center to educate the public in a hands-on way about infrastructure. Video In 2001, the City will produce a video highlighting infrastructure projects, featuring in- terviews with City employees who engineer and maintain them. Themes from this citizen outreach program will then be used to inform and drive our up- coming budget process in general and our infrastructure priorities in particular. Prepared by: Mary Hanna, Public Communications Officer CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:RAN~ ~MAN F AGER CMR:415:00 Page 4 of 4