City Council to Hold Budget Workshop Focused on Service Priorities

SUISUN CITY, Calif. – Faced with making $1.4 million in additional budget reductions on the heels of 35% budget cuts in recent years, the Suisun City Council will hold a public budget workshop at 6 p.m. Tuesday, September 20, at City Hall. >> map >>

While Suisun City has avoided significant service reductions, layoffs and furloughs during the national economic downturn, the additional 13% reduction in the City’s budget forced by recent State action will undoubtedly impact future service levels, City officials said.

In June, the State enacted two laws that changed the way redevelopment functions in California. Whether the Suisun City Redevelopment Agency is eliminated entirely or modified as required by the State, the City will face an approximate $1.4 million budget shortfall starting in July 2012.

Though a lawsuit is pending in the California Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of those laws, the City Council wants to begin discussing budget cuts that will be necessary if legal challenges fail.

Among the issues to be discussed during the Tuesday night workshop are

• The basic structure of the City’s budget.
• The strategy of selling select fixed assets and reducing spending that preserved public services thus far during a significant economic downturn, which has forced other cities to slash budgets and programs.
• The State’s decision to end Redevelopment as it previously existed during a prolonged economic slide that has forced the City to face very difficult decisions, and its impact on Suisun City.
• An array of budget changes that could reach $1.4 million.
• Service level priorities that will help guide future decision-making.

Given the severity of the challenges that lie ahead, the City Council wants the public to provide input to help prioritize services that are most important to Suisun City residents.  The City Council may set additional workshops in the future.

The workshop agenda and supporting information will be posted online by Thursday evening to www.Suisun.com.

Salvation Army to Reveal New Vision for Suisun City Center

SUISUN CITY, California - The Salvation Army and Suisun City Council invites the entire community to attend a very special unveiling on Tuesday night of all new plans for the Salvation Army Corps Community Center.

"The old is being wiped away with an expanded and improved plan that is virtually incomprehensible," City Manager Suzanne Bragdon said. "We still have to pinch ourselves to be sure we're not dreaming!"

The Salvation Army will present its plans to the City Council at 7 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 19) at the start of the regular City Council meeting in City Hall, 701 Civic Center Blvd, Suisun City

A brief reception will follow during which residents can meet Capt. Jonathan Harvey, his wife Vicky and other members of The Salvation Army team, and see the new renderings up close.

It's been just about a year since the Suisun City Council sold the shuttered community center on East Wigeon Way to The Salvation Army. Initial demolition and remodeling work was put on hold when a new source of funding became available that nearly doubled the budget for the Suisun City center.

From the start, Suisun City leaders and The Salvation Army shared a commitment to provide the community with the very best center and do it right. The new plans are the next step in that process.

For more information on the Suisun City Corps Community Center, go to www.Facebook.com/SuisunSalArmy or call 707-332-3209.

General Plan Guiding Principles to be Considered by City Council

SUISUN CITY, Calif. - On Tuesday (Aug. 17), the Suisun City Council will consider confirming guiding principles for the update to the City's General Plan.

The City Council meets at 7 p.m. in Suisun City Hall, 701 Civic Center Blvd.

Many jurisdictions throughout California have chosen to establish guiding principles at the beginning of their General Plan Update process to assist in the development of the General Plan.

The creation of such principles is usually followed by the development of (or confirmation of) goals, objectives and implementation measures in the final General Plan. The vision of the plan is “what” you want to accomplish, while the guiding principles are “how” you would accomplish that vision.

The General Plan is the main community planning document required for every community in California. It is designed to outline acceptable uses for every section of the city to ensure orderly development of homes, businesses, parks, schools, transportation and other community facilities.

>> READ MORE >>

Wise Choices Buoy Suisun City

Mayor Pete Sanchez wrote the following Letter to the Editor of the Daily Republic as an update of the City's fiscal situation:

Given the difficult financial environment everyone is facing today, Suisun City is fortunate to be holding its own when it comes to finances.

While the feds are balancing their budget by printing money, while our governor balances the state budget by borrowing on future lottery revenues, Suisun City leaders are balancing the city budget the old fashioned way: first we make an inventory of the small funds we have, then we conservatively estimate the small amounts we might collect, then we simply make wise decisions on where, when and how much to spend, while keeping more than 20 percent of our money in reserves, for expected rainy days.

I'm extremely proud of the tough financial decisions the Suisun City Council made in my 12 years as councilmember and, more so, in my past two years as mayor. Our city manager and management staff have been prudent, contributing to our vision of financial stability. Our employees have been truly patient, sharing in the sacrifices, making do with smaller salaries than their counterparts in nearby cities. Our residents understood there is this need to wait for street improvements and public infrastructures.

Our fire department, made up of only three salaried firefighters and more than 30 volunteers, deserve special mention for more than $1 million of annual savings to the city.

Suisun City's long term plans call for prudent spending and aggressive partnering with businesses who are bullish on Suisun's future. The new hotel opens in September, a new restaurant opens in spring and Walmart is on the pipeline. Those three projects combined will generate 10 percent more revenue to the city.

All of us in the city are mindful of the difficult times ahead. But we are thankful that we are not expecting cuts in public service, we are not laying off employees, and we are still moving ahead with public works projects.

Pete Sanchez
Mayor

Hands Off Our Budget!

STATE MUST MAKE TOUGH CHOICES, BALANCE BUDGET!

CUT UP THE 'LOCAL GOVERNMENT' CREDIT CARD!

The Suisun City Council delivered a clear message to the State Capitol on Tuesday night: Keep your mitts off our money!

While Suisun City, and other local governments across California, made tough political decisions to balance their budgets by July 1- as required by state law - the California Legislature has yet to do its constitutionally defined job of passing the State budget.

But the folks in the Capitol have managed to identify sources of funding that local governments rely upon that could be tapped to 'solve' the State's budget problem.

"The State, one again, is threatening to attack cities in order to balance their budget mess," Vice Mayor Jane Day said. "We have worked hard over the past few years to put our financial house in order.

"Instead of making the same hard decisions, the State is threatening to attack our finances - take our revenues - and toss us in the red," Day said. "This is not acceptable!"

State leaders are proposing to use provisions in Prop. 1A and Prop. 42 (transportation funds) that allow "borrowing" local government shares in times of "emergency," commonly defined as fire, flood, earthquake and the like. Not a political unwillingness to reach compromise and pass a balanced budget!

"The voters of this state have consistently voted to protect local resources from takeaways by the State," said City Council member Mike Segala, who also is a member of the League of California Cities Board of Directors. "Voters supported local revenue protection in 2004 when they approved Prop. 1A by more than 80%."

"The State seems to keep coming up with more innovative ways to avoid its obligation to adopt a structurally balanced budget by diverting local revenues," Segala said. "Already, the State has taken more than $3.5 milllion from Suisun City."

Under the current proposals in Sacramento, Suisun City stands to lose $1.2 million in the current budget year, including:

• $250,000 in transportation funds, which pays for road maintenance and Public Works operations


• $250,000 from the General Fund, the equivilent of 2 police officers, or 10% of our sworn police force


• $700,000 from the Redevelopment Agency, or 98% of our unencumbered budget that we use to support businesses, community amenities, neighborhood reinvestment and economic development

The City Council unanimously adopted a resolution Tuesday night that reads, in part,

"The City Council of the City of Suisun City hereby opposes any and all efforts by state government to 'borrow' or seize local tax funds, redevelopment tax increment and transportation sales tax funds by the state government to finance state operations. Such a move would be fiscally irresponsible for the state and hamper effective local services and infrastructure investment."

The City Council also led a ceremonial cutting of the "Bank of Local Government" credit card that the State continually uses to finance its lack of discipline.

YOU CAN HELP

Contact your state representatives to let them know how you feel about how the State handles its budget problems. In Suisun City, our legislators are

• Assemblymember Lois Wolk, who has supported protecting local government, 916-319-2008; assemblymember.wolk@assembly.ca.gov
• State Sen. Michael Machado, 916-651-4005; senator.machado@sen.ca.gov
• Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has supported protecting local government, 916-445-2841

Recall campaign in Suisun City faces opposition

This appeared today from the Daily Republic's Ian Thompson:

SUISUN CITY - The residents wanting to oust Suisun City's mayor and two councilmembers have started collecting the 2,100 signatures they need to put the recall on the ballot.

'It has been excellent,' recall advocate Dwight Acey said of the response.

Acey and six other recall advocates were stationed outside Raley's Supermarket on Monday in hopes of getting shoppers to sign petitions.

The group wants to kick Mayor Pete Sanchez and councilmembers Jane Day and Mike Hudson out of office after the council approved a Wal-Mart Supercenter in eastern Suisun City.

The group also has tied in issues such as last year's City Council raises and street repair problems into the effort.

Visit the Daily Republic website for the full article.

For information on why we post partial material from the Daily Republic, see this recent post.

Political activity disclaimer: Nothing in this blog posting, or anywhere else on this blog, should be construed as either favoring or opposing any issue of political controversy or position taken with regard to same. Government employees are barred from using their official positions or the resources of any public agency in any campaign activity. The sole purpose of this post and any other regarding the current recall election, and/or any local, county, state or national election is conveying publicly available information to assist in facilitating an informed electorate. For this reason, we avoid posting letters to the editor, unsigned editorials and columns. We believe strongly that the democratic process should be protected and carried out in an honest, forthright manner so the community may be improved by the excercise of our cherished electoral rights. No officeholder, candidate or advocate for any ballot measure, proposed or actual, have had input to the content of this posting.

City Council Approves $1.2 million Streets Program

The City Council unanimously approved a $1.2 million street improvement program that will resurface 34 of the City's worst rated streets this summer.

The Public Works Department will use a new process that is significantly less expensive and more durable than traditional asphalt overlays to perform the work across the City. Officials targetted the streets with the lowest surface quality ratings - from 0 to 25 - to upgrade those streets in most serious need.

The resurfacing process uses recycled tires combined with a thinner layer of asphalt to create a water-tight, flexible and durable surface.

>>Click here for more on this expansive new program>>

Suisun City Council Served Recall Notices

Mayor Pete Sanchez and City Councilmembers Jane Day and Mike Hudson were served recall papers during the public comment period of Tuesday's City Council meeting.

Though many reasons were offered for the recall move, the main reason was the City Council's unanimous approval in February of the Wal-Mart Supercenter at Highway 12 and Walters Road.

The service of notice to the council members action sets in motion a process - proscribed in state law - as to how a recall effort is to be conducted. In summary, the proponents must collect sufficient signatures from registered voters living in Suisun City on a petition to qualify the issue for the ballot. Once those signatures are verified by the Solano County Registrar of Voters, the City Council is required to set the matter for an election within a specific period of time.

A special election would cost the City about $150,000 to conduct. Depending on the pace of the petition process, the matter may qualify for the November general election ballot.

The recall effort is getting wide media attention in the Daily Republic, Vacaville Reporter and ABC affiliate News 10.

Suisun City Council Unanimously Approves Wal-Mart

The Suisun City Council unanimously approved late Tuesday night a Wal-Mart Supercenter, gas station and standalone sit-down restaurant proposed for Highway 12 at Walters Road after a lively and balanced debate by both opponents and proponents of the project.

The proposal outlined a 215,000-square-foot Supercenter with outdoor garden center and grocery section on a 20.8-acre triangular parcel zoned for General Commerical use for nearly two decades.
During the 6 hour and 45 minute hearing, 65 members of the public addressed the City Council presenting passionate arguments both for and against the proposed development.

The Council cast unanimous votes to:

• Override the recommendation of the Solano County Airport Land Use Commission, which found the project to be inconsistent with the Travis Airport Land Use Plan;
• Certify the Final Environmental Impact Report with appropriate statements of overriding consideration; and
• Approve all project applications, including many additional mitigation measures negotiated with Wal-Mart officials during the course of City Council deliberations.

The new Wal-Mart will provide new shopping opportunities much closer to home for Suisun City residents - something heard repeatedly articulated as a "need" by the public at both the Planning Commission and City Council hearings.

The City Council secured enhanced mitigation measures from Wal-Mart, including:

• Extended sound walls and a committment to study further extension of sound barriers at Wal-Mart's expense;
• Committment to use anti-theft devices on shopping carts to keep them on the store's property and out of nearby neighborhoods;
• Committment to comply with strict City ordinances governing grafitti prevention and removal;
• Committment to comply with strict City ordinances mandating removal of abandoned vehicles; and
• Committment to include the Suisun City store in Wal-Mart's pilot solar power program and install the system should it provide feasible.

The 8,000-sqaure-foot sit-down restuarant, tenanted by a national chain, will be located west of the Wal-Mart Supercenter. A 12-pump independent gas station with associated 4,100-square-foot convenience store and automated car wash is planned at the corner of Highway 12 and Walters Road.

The project also will include a 35-foot tall sign welcoming highway travelers to Suisun City and featuring a message board that can be used to promote City events and present important messages.

Based on the results of an independent study conducted for the City, the project is expected to generate approximately $800,000 in sales taces the first full year of operation, which increases to $1.6 million after 20 years. Overall, the net fiscal impact to the General Fund from this project is estimated to be roughly $965,000 a year, after costs to serve the project are deducted from gross revenues generated.

Currently, Suisun City experiences a loss of upwards of 70% of potential sales tax revenue to neighboring communities. Suisun City captures about $2,875 per capita in annual taxable sales compared to $12,693 per capita for Fairfield, $9,892 per capita average across all Solano County jurisidictions and $10,068 per capita average for all California cities.