Okay, good morning everyone. We are
going to start and um we're running a
little late due to some technical
difficulties with the Zoom. So, I'm
calling to order the special meeting of
the Rosstown Council and annual budget
workshop, Thursday, April 23rd,
2026.
Has the agenda been posted? Yes, mayor.
>> Public comment for items on the agenda.
This is limited to three minutes per
speaker for items on the agenda.
Anybody public comment?
Julie, can I ask you a question? It is
this the only time for comment or is
there comment, you know, before certain
things later? I couldn't tell from the
agenda if there would be comment, you
know, before each item or after each
item. Is there still comment then?
you usually on a workshop agenda there's
a an place for them to have public
comment in the beginning just on all the
items but it's really up to the mayor
and the how you want to run your
meeting.
>> I think if anyone wants to make public
comment on the items on the agenda and
then they can leave and not endure the
three plus hours of budget workshop they
can feel free to do that but I think we
should take public comment after each
item. Okay. Um so that if there's new or
relevant comments that people want to
make um we can entertain that too.
>> Um so anybody online with public comment
on items that are on the agenda?
» Um
hold on excuse me just for a moment.
question is uh
» no raised hands may
>> no raised hands online
>> thank you item number four Christa
introduction of our new town clerk
senior management analyst
>> yes thank you mayor and council it's my
pleasure here to introduce the town's
new town clerk, senior management anal
analyst, Zack Kovac DLon.
Uh, yes,
Zach is Zach is a Marin County native.
He graduated from Terara Linda High
School and studied political science and
economics at Sonoma State University. He
is pursuing a master of public
administration degree at um CSU Eastbay
and expects to graduate next month.
Uh, Zach brings a wealth of knowledge of
local government and the Ross Valley in
particular to his new position in Ross.
He previously worked for the county of
Sonoma, their economic development
board. He worked for the county of Marin
as an aid to former Marin County
Supervisor Katie Rice. And most
recently, he was working for the
Workforce Alliance of the North Bay as a
senior workforce development analyst
covering Marin County. Um he's lived in
Sanelma with his wife and their two
children ages six and two for over six
years. In addition to his busy family
life, work and educational pursuits,
Zach recently served on the San Sal
planning commission from 2023 to 2025.
Um I know you'll agree we are fortunate
to have Jack Zach join our small team.
He started his position just three days
ago and he's already demonstrated how
well he will serve the Ross community.
Welcome, Zach.
» Did is there anything you wanted to say?
>> Just want to say thank you so much,
Christa, and I am so excited to be here
and I'm really looking forward to
working with all of you um here on the
council. So, thank you so much.
>> Thank you. Welcome.
Number five, annual budget workshop.
Review and confirm the town's goals.
Quack.
>> Great. Thank you very much, uh, mayor.
It's my pleasure to, um,
conduct this annual budget workshop. Um,
let's, it's good to start off reviewing
the town goals.
If you recall last year, the council
added an eighth goal. And these goals
are um in your agenda packet. They're
also up on in the PowerPoint
presentation, and they're conveniently
here on the wall. Um they are not in
priority order, and you did add the
eighth one last year, provide effective
and timely communication with residents.
So, these as as I and and our staff team
were putting together this draft budget
before you today, we those guided our
work and um if you'd like to take a
moment to to discuss it, if there are
any additions or um enhancements,
anything you'd like to do, now's the
time to to talk about it.
Any enhancements or additions?
They're perfect as they are.
Oh, okay. Great.
Okay. Do we need public comment on that?
If you'd like to. Any public comment on
the town's goals?
Anybody online?
>> Uh, no hands raised online.
>> Thank you. Number six.
Okay.
So, thank you, mayor and council, for
dedicating your morning to all morning
to this um to this annual budget
workshop. I'd like to um just
acknowledge our senior accountant, Elena
Kurakina. She did a great job putting
all the numbers together and working
with me and our um staff team on this is
her um she's she's been here since um
about mid June last year and this is her
first budget process. So wanted to thank
her for all that work and getting up to
speed along with with everything
including our transition of our um town
clerk which has been a key position for
us. So um she is here along with members
of our management team to answer
questions you may have and we can
certainly um stop me um during the
presentation and ask questions or make
comments if if you'd like mayor if
that's how you'd like to run it.
>> That sounds great.
>> Okay.
So, I'm going to start with um um
accomplishments
uh from the current fiscal year. So, we
focused on um July 1 through just now.
Uh so, it's not even a complete fiscal
year yet. Um these are um items that uh
have come to the council or that are
significant um in the departments and I
wanted to uh just go through them
briefly. I did make copies for you there
in case you'd like to review at a later
time and ask questions or hanging them
up on your wall. But um we'll start off.
So uh highlights and accomplishments
from the year from our general
government um department is uh first and
foremost uh an accomplishment is that
the town is financially healthy. We um
have received a clean audit for fiscal
year ending 25. That'll be coming to you
at your next council meeting next week
where we'll also have a brief
presentation by our auditor. Um, uh,
we've, uh, increased, the council has
increased your savings for the civic
center project. You've continued to pay
down unfunded pension liability. You
started a new investment account to
increase earnings. Um and you we uh
conducted a recruitment for a new
appointed treasurer that was completed
and I and I council appointed him I
recall last August and he's been working
really hard Jeffrey to get up to
speed. Um
uh we negotiated a new lease agreement
with the paramedics that was multiple
years in the making and a lot of staff
time and certainly a lot of council time
went into that. Uh we recruited and
transitioned to new staff, our new
senior accountant, our new town clerk.
Uh we have a new police chief that's
actually here um in the audience. He
starts on Monday, Raul Aglar. And um he
starts on Monday. He will be sworn in at
the council meeting um next week on
Wednesday and he was kind enough to come
and and and listen in today to start
getting up to speed. We've also spent a
year recruiting for a building inspector
and really happy to report that he is
going to be starting um his job after he
moves here from the Monterey Peninsula.
He'll be starting on May 18th. So, we
just got that agreement signed and um I
know our planning and building
department in particular is real real
happy to have that full-time position
back. It's been vacant for a year.
Um al continuing in general government
um
we um extensive cyber security actions
have been taken. We are continuing down
that path. We'll be bringing back at
your next meeting a uh renewal of our um
uh agreement, professional services
agreement with Marin IT. That'll be on
your next council agenda. Uh we
installed a new telephone system.
uh negotiated a three-year labor
agreement with Ross Police Officers
Association. We also put in place two
new uh human resources policies that is
going to benefit employees. Uh the first
was a catastrophic sick leave policy
that the council um put in place last
fall and then at your last council
meeting a uh paid parental leave
program. Uh we conducted uh three at
during three council meetings the
council took the um made the evaluation
and took count uh action to move your
elections formally to November on an
ongoing basis.
This slide has to do with the um
implementation of the facilities master
plan and response to the for citizens
initiative that was filed um last
summer. Uh these are some of the major
accomplishments that happened um over
the year. You did receive at your
council meeting last week. Uh a third
report from our um project manager. So,
I don't have to go into all of them, but
just wanted to point out that especially
for um me and David Kelly and and our uh
planning and public works directors,
this is a a significant amount of our
staffing resources and council time has
been going into this um particular um um
initiative to implement the facilities
master plan.
Um this slide just focus I wanted to
focus on a theme that the council and
the community has been uh very
interested in in this I know since I got
here four years ago is pedestrian and
bicycle safety. So these are bullet
points and their um achievement
accomplishments made by uh our public
works department and our police
department to uh enhance pedestrian and
bicycle safety. Um uh the council
enacted ebike legislation in partnership
with the county of Marin and the police
department has continued education uh
working closely with the school district
and began enforcement of that. Um the
public works uh department uh improved
uh is is before the end of this fiscal
year will have made additional
improvements to the Shady Lane
pedestrian pathway and installed bike
sheross on Shady Lane. Uh the Laurel
Grove Pathways phase 2 project was
completed this year. Um recently
completed was sidewalk replacement on
Sir Francis Drake at the Bolinus bus
stop. The police department um uh
purchased and has deployed uh a mobile
speed sign. You've probably seen it
throughout town. Uh that's been very
helpful to um educate drivers on how
fast they're going and also provide a
lot of statistical information to the
police chief that he can use in further
deploying and and trying to address this
issue. Um and the public works
department has been working hard on
replacing the three pedestrian bridges
at Natalie Coff and Green Park. Recently
received um good good information about
the lack of nesting owls and um
they'll be able to be replaced um uh by
in the summer. So that's fantastic.
Also in the police department and these
are highlights. It's certainly not
everything that that happens in any of
the departments, but just wanted to
highlight accomplishment. They uh
maintained a safe community. Um we've
transitioned our police department
leadership to our new chief. Um the
number of speed citations has increased
um especially on Sir Francis Drake has
been a focused area. Uh the department
has increased enforcement of parking and
moving violations in the neighborhoods,
especially those that are impacted by
construction projects.
There's also been an enforcement an
emphasis on enforcement to maintain
roadway clearance for first responder
access and of course evacuation should
the need arise. Uh the department has
also increased training to move the
department from documenting crime to
investigating crime. And examples are um
some recent elder abuse um cases that
they've been investigating and also
robbery cases. And I'm if the council
has more questions about that, I'm sure
Chief Pota would be happy to respond.
Uh in the public works department, they
completed several paving projects. Uh
we've invested in the fleet. The council
approved in the budget for this current
fiscal year a new tractor which is going
to be about $100,000. You approved it.
the purchase of it on your last agenda.
Um they've made progress on the
windshift bridge replacement project
which is many years in the making and
probably more years to go but progress
has been made. Uh they issued 95
encroachment permits and 41 tree permits
and that's just for the first nine
months of the year. So we're a small
town but there's quite a bit of
activity.
um they continue to maintain the
operationality of dilapidated town
facilities and so they do you know in
order for us to keep using these
facilities they have to put uh a lot of
work into it. Um they've made progress
on the Bolina storm drain phase 2
project. Also progress on the
undergrounding utility districts, the two uh assessment districts and our
own utility undergrounding project here
on the corner of Logonist and Sir
Francis Drake.
Um planning and building just a few
highlights. Um housing element
implementation was begun. Uh at your
last council meeting, you approved the
um multi-year fee study uh which has
resulted in amended fee schedule. They
um issued 232 building permits, which
equates to $1.6 million in fees. They
reviewed and approved 37 planning
projects. Um, if you recall last fall,
um, our planning director handled the,
uh, three, every three-year, uh, the
town needs to update its fire, uh, um,
wooi and building codes. She handled
that. Um, they continued to provide
responsive services to the community
with the building inspector vacant.
They, so they were able to continue on
good service. Um, I did not receive any
complaints. Um, so that's great.
uh they adopted an ordinance prohibiting
tobacco cells. So that came to the
council a handful of times and um this
is one of those administrative things
but it's important and it takes a lot of
management skill is um they uh scanned
250
boxes of documents scanned and then they
were and then they were able to destroy
those documents in accordance with our
records retention policy. that has freed
up space in our public works building
and makes it easier for staff and the
public to access information. So, that's
one of those extra things that a lot of
times we don't get time to do, but um
staff really um made a point of getting
that done and it was a $30,000
investment. So, thank you for to the
council for allocating funds for that.
Uh in Ross Recreation, they onboarded
two key rec uh programming employees.
They continued to staff age friendly
task force and increased um age friendly
events and programming. They reimagined
the town dinner. If you recall last last
fall, it was free and it was held at
Magic and it was wellreceived.
Um they have an agreement with Magic to
host classes. An example of this is the
Happy Hive preschool afterchool program
which has been very successful.
um they've expanded um flexible
afterchool options in our afterchool
programs including gap care and uh just
at your last meeting you had an update
from uh Moren Borthwick our recreation
manager about all things uh recreation
so you saw a lot of pictures and
received more information but offered
over 150 programs to the Ross community.
uh they managed the reestablishment of
the organic farm stand on the common
last year and at your last meeting the
council renewed that agreement um I
can't I think it was three or five years
uh and they've increased engagement with
RPOA the Ross auxiliary and the Ross
school for um community events so a lot
of activity going on
um you know I've included the fire
department because as you know the town
pays for fire services it's it a
function, a very important function that
the town provides and we do that through
an ag um as part of a joint powers um
authority with the Ross Valley Fire
Department. So, just a few highlights of
what the chief, Chief Mahoney considers
to be accomplishments is he hired a new
wildfire preparedness coordinator. Her
name is Nicole and um I've seen her
she's she's handling not only education
events for the neighbor member agencies,
but she's also taken over management of
their vegetation um programs. She's also
looking into trying to do work on uh to
rehabilitate the fire roads um that go
between San and Selmo and Ross and
Fairfax. So, she's taken along a a lot
of new things. We really are excited
about that. Um, the department hired
three new firefighters, which is
difficult in the Bay Area now, and
completed a new labor agreements for all
of their bargaining groups this past
summer. They also staffed a new uh
battalion chief position. They also
managed the closure of station 18. They
updated council on response times. I
think that was last December.
Um they've completed a remodel of
station 20 in Sleepy Hollow and they've
obtained funding through the Fairfax
Town Council for the remodel of station
21 which is in Fairfax.
Um they uh brought forward assisted with
the new fire code adoption and they
completed large vegetation removal
projects in Ross including uh one at
Natalie Coffen Green Park, one that's
underway on upper road and they um did a
new program by partnering with students
at Ross School to do a broom pull event
and our town staff. So that's that's
neat.
So those are the achievements for the
year. I don't know if you had anything
that you wanted to pause there. You have
any questions? You wanted to
add anything or anything?
>> Any comments, questions?
>> Okay, I think we can keep going.
>> Okay.
>> I just wanted to add one thing just to
say I it's it's amazing to see all the
accomplishments. I can't believe it's
been what, nine months, not quite a full
year.
>> Yeah, congratulations to all the staff
and all the work that they do. So,
>> great. Thank you,
>> Julie. Could I could I just add I I I
I'm impressed. You know, sometimes
sitting on the council, we have these
issues that are really difficult and
they seem to keep coming back and coming
back because they're hard and we don't
have ready solutions, particularly when
these solutions, if they are there, will
cost money. team, sometimes a lot of
money. What we don't always appreciate
is all the work that's going on day in
and day out by our staff and it when you
put it all together like this, it really
is impressive. So, thank you very much
to everyone on the town staff and to our
manager.
>> Yeah, I I agree. And it might be nice to
have some kind of a communication to all
the residents in the Ross review. um not
the whole PowerPoint but just maybe the
highlights so that the community can
appreciate everything that's gone on
too. I think that would be really
helpful. Thank you to everybody.
» Okay, thank you. Okay, so uh moving on.
This next section has to do with the
five-year uh financial forecast.
Um, so this assists the town council and
our management team in understanding the
town's ability to fund current level of
services in the future. So, is what
we're doing sustainable? Is our level of
service uh sustainable? And it it gives
us some information about our ability to
fund alternative programs and services
in the short term or the long term.
Um so this this uh exercise projects
revenue and expenses for uh for a 5-year
period starting in 2027 to 2031 and it's
focused on the town's operating fund. It
estimates revenue and expenses based on
your current town policies and state
statutes. It includes just a modest
level of capital expenses continuing to
be funded by the operating fund and it
does include an additional $200,000 per
year for each of the five years um for
pension unfunded acred liability payown.
So that is already incorporated into
this uh financial forecast.
Uh so the forecast indicates that um for
revenues property taxes will continue to
be your largest source of revenue. Um we
receive uh projections from the county
of Marin and also our consulting firm
HDL and they uh so we used their
projections which average 3 to 4% per
year in growth.
Uh revenue growth will be less than
expense growth. So transfers the so the
transfers that the council has been able
to make to the facilities and equipment
fund and to the capital projects fund
are projected to decrease in order to
balance the budget. However, you're
still putting that $200 200,000 every
year towards pension.
Um
so this this need for additional funding
in order to address deferred capital
needs and obsolete facilities. If at
your last meeting we did put together
with the help of our consultant team a
presentation um for council about with
that included options for raising
additional funds for those purposes.
So on the expenses side, our expenses
are projected to grow approximately 3 to
4% per year um excluding one-time
expenditures.
Wages and benefits comprise 47% of total
expenses. They are estimated to increase
4% per year moving forward.
Our police and fire labor agreements um
expire uh on June 30th, 2028. So that's
partway through this 5-year forecast.
Labor costs are expected to increase and
it will affect this financial forecast.
Um so pension costs are stabilizing with
the enactment of the PEPA provisions um
and the payown of our unfunded pension
liability. However, Kalper's in
investment gains and losses
contribute to the unpredictability of
future costs. So, that's affecting you
know that this this forecast is going to
change as we get the information from
Kalpers every year. Um, for the current
fiscal year 26, the town was required
pension costs were $840,000.
Those are expected to increase to 1.1
million by fiscal year ending 31.
uh the fire department JPA costs. So
that's 30% of the town's operating costs
go to that fire JPA. Those are budgeted
to increase by 6% in the upcoming fiscal
year 27. And then we expect that they
will be increasing 4% annually in the
future.
So uh this is the bottom line here. this this
graph here. So this table. So what this
is showing us is um you know the first
column was the actual for fiscal year
25. The next two is budget for the uh
current fiscal year and what we project
we will really be bringing in and
spending by the end of this fiscal year.
And then the middle column is the uh
projected for the fiscal year ending
2027. So, what this is showing us is
that the town's current level of
services are fundable over the next 5
years.
And really, the the the reason we're
able to fund our current level services
is due to the revenue collected from the
public safety parcel tax. That's really
the key reason.
>> Yes, mayor. um on on our handout, the
memo, the staff report on page
>> um nine iix,
>> it looks like the same chart except for
um two numbers are different,
>> right? So we we've uh the one that's in
your staff report includes the um
includes the transfer of surplus from
previous years. So I I agree. I
apologize that is a little confusing.
This one is more simplified and I'm I'd
like to ask Elena to articulate. She's
probably better at articulating an
answer to this question.
>> During prior years and use your
microphone.
» Okay. Thank you. So during prior years,
the town collected uh more revenue than
uh incurred expenses and additional two
and a half million dollars uh available
to transfer to capital project funds.
And this is what you see in um staff
report. And here we decided to simplify
to show just uh excluding prior years um
additional funds to show that uh year by
year the town is uh able to um be in a
uh this position.
So,
>> um,
>> it it looks like we're really getting
close to deficit spending, um,
especially in what, fiscal 2029.
>> Mhm.
>> Um, is that concerning to people?
>> Um, yeah, I I have a couple of points
about that if I I can. So, it's um so
we're projecting a very small surplus of
$8,000 at the end of fiscal year ending
27 and then a small small surpluses
through 2031.
Um
this fiscal year, if you notice, we are
anticipating a um surplus of $843,000.
And we're projecting this nice surplus
due to an increase in revenue which was
largely driven by the increase in
interest that we've received and reduced
spending um that we've spent less than
we had budgeted because primarily
because of an unfilled building
inspector position in some so a
combination of a lot of different things
but we were able to produce this uh
expected surplus by the end of the year.
So, these small surpluses that you see,
you know, it it means that you're you're
going to be able to um fund one-time
expenses, but you're not going to be
able to afford new positions, ongoing
costs um or big capital projects unless
you um somehow receive additional
revenue.
So getting into the draft budget, I'll
go through these next slides uh quickly,
but um just uh uh the general fund has
um
>> I'm sorry, excuse me. Can I ask a
question?
>> So
what was the actual property tax
increase revenue for this this year?
>> It was about um we didn't finalize it.
We we we didn't receive yet uh the final
uh balances because the county transfers
money in December, in April, and the
final balance coming in July. So, we
don't have the final number yet, but
it's expected to be at least 4%
increase.
>> How much?
>> At least 4%.
>> Okay. I I think it's higher. I think you
have it somewhere.
>> Yes. Yeah. I I
>> the
>> I'm trying to be conservative.
>> No, no, no. What I'm saying is that the
actual property tax revenue growth
exceeds the budget. It's exceeded it
ever since I've joined
>> every year.
>> And I would say that the the town often
has a conservative like you you you're
3.8% as a baseline, but we actually
exceed that almost every single year in
property tax revenue.
>> And the reason is people sell their
homes and property taxes reset. So I
hear this dire prediction of how we have
no money, but I find that to be maybe a
little too um wor over worrisome because
as long as we do a good job stewarding
the town and the property values
increase, so will property tax revenues,
which has been the case. And that's not
what's forecasted in here.
So if you look in your budget binder
under tab
G, that is operating fund revenue. In
the very top line, it it mentions
property tax. So
the budget for the current fiscal year,
we budgeted
5,650,000
in property tax, just the basic property
tax.
And we estimate we will be receiving
5,671,000
as our that's what we're estimating we
will receive by the end of the year. And
um
we get updates from the county finance
department throughout the year and
we expect that that is going to we're
going to be we're going to be right on
with that at least that portion of it.
So that's $21,000
more than we budgeted. Um,
>> but as a percentage, Christa, it's five,
it's up 5.5%.
>> Over 2425.
So we're forecasting
>> three 3.8 and the the actuals are up
5.5.
>> Yeah.
>> So significantly more growth.
Mhm. And that's and it is difficult to
estimate things. That's why we rely so
much um on our partners at the Marin
County Finance Department and on our
consultants HDL to help back up because
property tax is such a huge part of our
budget. So that staff's recommendation
is to is to align ourselves with what
they recommend, but of course it's the
council's budget. So if you'd like to
make it different.
>> Okay.
>> And that's what our
>> I just also would like to point out that
the growth from 24 to 25 actual and 23
24 was 5.8%.
>> Mhm.
>> So it's 5.8% growth for that year and
then it's 5.5% growth and we're
forecasting 3.8.
So again, I don't mind that we're
conservative,
>> but I think it's important to recognize
that if property tax revenue grows
faster
>> than what you're forecasting, we're
going to end up in surplus. And again,
since I've been on this council, we've
had surplus after surplus after surplus.
Every quarter, I I bring it up in the
actual financials,
>> the surpluses. Mhm.
>> So keep that in mind when you're trying
to forecast out 5 years that we may
actually surprise on the upside if
property taxes continue to come in
higher than anticipated.
>> And and the flip side is, you know,
there's all this uncertainty. There's
always uncertainty with the economy,
with global affairs, etc., etc. So Matt,
you probably didn't own a house in 2008,
but property tax revenue went down
because we were having a huge financial
crisis. So I think the best to me the
best thing is to rely on the county.
We're not equipped to make assumptions
changing the percentage increase. We can
always check in over time if those
numbers change.
Um, I'm comfortable with being more
conservative because you just never know
what's going to happen.
And if we have more, that's great,
right? That's that's not a bad thing.
>> No, that's how the council has been able
to save towards your in your capital
projects fund is because of this
in part because of that. Um, let's see.
Anything else on that or
Okay.
Um, so we were talking about the funds.
So the general fund consists of three
funds. We've got operating fund,
facilities, equipment, and our emergency
fund. New in fiscal year 24 was the
capital projects fund, and that's the
town's piggy bank for its civic center
project. And then we have these uh
special revenue funds that can only be
spent for specific purposes, the gas
tax, drainage, public safety tax, etc.
Uh this slide is just showing that
revenues in fiscal year 27 are projected
to grow but at a slower rate. So as
council member Salterzer pointed out
last year the property tax growth was
projected at 5.4%. This year it's
projected at 3.8%.
We also project planning and building
revenue conservatively based on a 5-year
average including estimated actual for
the current fiscal year. So this uh
chart is showing the change um and if
you notice we are um projecting that our
planning revenue is going to decrease by
21.4%.
Okay.
Uh just have a few
>> what question on that on the planning I
we remember we changed a bunch of the
fees this year. Is that reflective in
here or not?
I'm going to ask um
Elena, we actually or Roberta to talk to
this, but yeah.
>> Yes, it is because uh yeah, our budget
was built based on a new fees and we not
quite sure how will it work right yet
because it is going to be first and big
change in the first year but it is
implemented here in the budget. Yes.
>> Okay. Thanks. Mhm.
Okay. So, I just have a a few
highlights. So, our revenue highlights
4% increase in total operating revenue
over the previous budget. And then the
parcel tax covers 17.3% of police and
fire expenditures. The rate for the
coming year for our property owners is
uh $1,231.
Um and of course that's subject to
council. You'll be taking asked to take
that action in June at your June
meeting. Uh okay.
So this is an an overview of
expenditures by department. Um
this slide shows that the town has these
are this is a graph of total fund
balances. So it shows that the town has
healthy reserves. Um, in particular, I
wanted to point out that the operating
fund balance is uh would drop in um
fiscal year 27 due to a budgeted $2.5
million transfer of prior year reserves
from the operating fund into the capital
projects fund. So into your piggy bank
for this project. And that would still
leave a $3.9 million reserve which um
satisfies that 30% reserve policy.
Okay.
A and why did that money build up over
time? We we just weren't really focused
on it or what was going on?
>> No. Of these past few years, we have
been transferring um funds every year.
So, I think the current year is we've
transfer we're budgeted to transfer a
million dollars. Is that correct, Elena?
We're of prior year surpluses. So yes,
it built up over time because as council
member Salter mentioned, we maybe we get
property taxes that exceed our
projections. We don't spend some money
that we thought. We've also because
you've been saving because you've been
so successful in saving money in the
capital projects fund, you're generating
interest that you didn't get before. So
um it's a it's a whole combination of
things. We had several years there where
the police department was not spending
its full budgeted um appropriation
because they were having difficulty
filling their positions. So, it was it
was a whole bunch of different things,
but um and it's it's the council has
been frugal. I mean, you you haven't
you've had a lot of uh you've been
fiscally conservative where you haven't
been spending
um deciding to spend money on adding
positions and things like that. You've
been very conservative over the years.
And just a question on the um operating
reserve. Is that standard a 30%
operating reserve?
>> It it is standard and it is I mean there
are some cities that go lower. I mean
there's a city in Orange County their um
council policy is 10%. So um 30% is is
the norm for cities especially in the
North Bay. Um,
yeah, but there are cities out there
that go lower than that. But that is the
council adopted reserve policy. That's
part of your council adopted financial
policies that last came to the council
in 2021.
» Uh, Chris, one question for you. Are we
Is there a slide on the pension
specifically or when I just want to see
because I I I'll wait to ask questions
on it if there's if you're going to
address it.
>> Um, actually, you know, I I moved it to
the end. I had it last year. I was
trying to I was trying to pull this down
a little bit, minimize this
presentation, but I'll be happy to put
it back on. We can skip to that. We can
do it now or we can do it at the end.
>> At the end's fine. I just thought again
I was going to Sure.
>> Wait.
>> Um, okay.
So, for this chart here, it's it's
what's the bottom line? So, the takeaway
is that the operating fund is balanced
and your fiscal year ending 27 uh fund
balances are healthy. Um,
and it also shows that you're uh it
shows the inclusion of the $2.5 million
transfer of prior year reserves into the
capital projects fund. And so that's
going to build that fund. So that ending
fiscal year 27, your fund balance in
that fund is expected to be $13.74
million.
So that's something to be proud of, I
think.
Okay, these next charts, I'll go through
these quickly, but this this chart is so
showing that, you know, of course,
property taxes are 57% of the town's
revenue. Then our public safety uh
parcel tax generates um another 9% of
our revenue.
This next slide talks a little bit about
expenditures. Um, wages are our largest
expense at 31%
and then our contract with Ross Valley
Fire Department for fire service is the
second largest expense at 24%.
Um,
this one is actually by department. So
this shows that fire is our largest
expenditure by department and that and
the difference in those two is that the
fire department budget is a little bit
more than the contract with Ross Valley
Fire because there are some more line
items in that budget
um such as
» what are some of those items? I didn't
quite understand why the the numbers are
different.
>> Yeah, sure. Um some of those items are
um maintenance. So for example, we have
we are required by the JPA agreement to
um pay funding for um the upkeep of
station um 19 in Sanmo. We also put in
there the funding that we get from the
Min Wildfire Prevention Authority. So we
have revenue coming in and then we have
revenue going out. Am I missing
anything, Elena?
>> No, you're right.
>> Yeah. Um we used to have in that budget
uh how much we spent to rent the um the
portable for the firefighters and
luckily we were able to get get that we no longer have that expense. So
there's other things in that budget just
a few things and that um Mayor Prom
Robbins is um in your budget packet
under
» under tab I compar.
>> Thank you. Yeah. Oh,
>> thank you, Elena. Mayor Prom Robbins.
Another uh big item is um we have
Kalpers's uh uh unfunded liability for
the fire department staff before when
Ross used to have its fire department
before we joined the Ross Valley Fire
Department in 2012. So, prior to that,
there was unfunded liability that we pay
uh just our own. So that's another align
item in that budget.
>> Thank you.
>> Sure.
» So 57% of our general fund expenditures
are um spent on fire and police services
and and that is typical. That's a
typical amount. 60 60% is often what you
hear. Some places it gets it's creeping
up closer to 70%.
So that was my uh those were our spiffy
charts and now I have um some from
staff's perspective some of our our
priorities for the coming budget year
that are part of this budget document.
Um absolutely we want to maintain our
financial stability and maintain public
safety. Another one in continues our
second bullet is employee retention,
employee recruitment. I've added in here
this year is succession planning. For
example, our public works director Rich
Simonich is retiring in August. So
there's a focus this year on succession
planning, safety as always training and
technological um investments so that we
can work uh smarter and more
efficiently.
priority for this coming year continues
to be the town facilities master plan,
engaging an architect, planning those
temporary relocations to do
construction, beginning environmental
review, working on the housing
development. There's a whole bunch of
things that you uh received in your uh status report at your last council
meeting. We want to increase
communication with residents. So, uh, a
carryover project from last year is the
town provided us with funding to, um,
have to create a new website. We weren't
able to clean to complete that project
this year primarily due to the, uh,
transition with new clerks, but, um, our
new town clerk, Zach, is
really excited about doing this next
year. Right, Zach?
>> Absolutely.
>> Yeah. And we'll we'll get started on
that because there's a lot of uh, we we
need to get our website in into modern
day Um, we continue to invest in
vehicles and equipment. So, you we we we
just got the new public works tractor.
Um, and in the coming year, we've
budgeted funding for a um a new but
probably gently used uh uh car for our
police chief and new body cams and some
other things. We will um of course be
continuing our cyber security
improvements.
We'll continue improving emergency
preparedness and wildfire prevention.
Continue to focus on that pedestrian
safety. Continue to make payowns to our
unfunded pension liability. Um our uh
most recent valuation report for Kalpers
shows that we have an unfunded acred
liability of 5.7 million. That's a
decrease of 400,000
from the prior year.
Um, but that fluctuates every year. So,
um, since 2016, the town has made $3.6
million in discretionary payments to pay
down the pension liability.
And this budget continues to transfer
funds into the capital projects fund to
build your savings account for the civic
center project.
So, just a few highlights for each
department in the general government
section. Um, we do this budget includes
a 3% cost of living increase for all of
our employees. Um, it includes uh 10%
increase in health insurance costs.
We've got uh increased investments for
it. Um, for the third year in a row
we've been doing this. Unfortunately,
our liability and property insurance is
expected to increase by 24%.
Um, and that is typical. That's I've
checked in with my colleagues with our
neighboring cities, and it's not just
us. It's happening to everybody. Um, in
particular, as I mentioned, we have the
website redesign. We want to continue to
make progress on records retention and
scanning. Uh, we need to recruit a new
public works director. Um, and I know
Elena has is uh put this forward is we
need a a new financial software
management system. So that's we have
$52,000 in the budget to purchase and
implement a new financial uh management
system. We also um need to update the
personnel rules. The last time they went
to the council was the summer of 2021
and we've uh we need to update those and
um add some of the the the for example
paid parental leave of all that needs to
be incorporated into the personnel
policies
uh for the fire department budget. um uh
the closure of the the station 18 last
summer generated savings to the JPA and
then they applied that to Ross' dues. Um
the savings is expected to be over
300,000 in the um coming fiscal year
with the town's share of the Ross Valley
Fire Department budget will be reduced
from 23.37%
that's what we've been paying that's
been our share to it'll be reduced down
to 20.4%.
Now, that is pending. That formal change
in the JPA needs to um be approved by
the Ros Valley Fire Department board and
I believe it's I think it's it's going
to have to come to this council to
approve the JAPA, amended JPA. So,
you'll be seeing that summer, early
fall. That should be coming forward.
Uh their budget, however, is not yet
finalized.
um we will be receiving that uh updates
to that and they will be incorporated
into this draft budget and you know the
budget comes back to you for formal
approval in at your June 11th meeting.
So the the Ross Valley Fire Department
budget is is we expect it to increase by
6.5%.
And then uh the entire department is um
budgeted at 3.3 million and that
includes the and that's a 6% increase
and that was the difference between the
two are what I described to uh Mayor
Prom Robbins. So, this budget does
include $65,000 each for wildfire
defensible space program and the
wildfire local prevention program and
that's funded by the wildfire prevention
authority.
In the police department, uh we have
nine positions in the police department.
If you recall, an officer position was
added in fiscal year ending 25 for
succession planning purposes at we we uh
told the council we would be evaluating
the need for that every year. Um we did
that evaluation this year, the police
chief and I and due to succession
planning, we need to continue that
through fiscal year ending 27 and we
will evaluate it um next year with our
new chief.
Uh the new we have a newou with the
police officers. It's in effect through
June 2028.
It uh this includes funding for uh new
equipment and one vehicle. As I
mentioned, I wanted to point out that
due to some of the changes that we made
in the new memorandum of understanding
with the police officers association,
one of it was to reduce the amount we
raised their um salaries and then we
were able to reduce the amount of
automatic comp time that they acrewed
each pay period. And what that's one of
the thing that that's enabled is that
the the chief and due to good management
and the fact that the department is
fully staffed and the reduction in the
count time they've earned the overtime
budget has been reduced by 50%. So
that's not something you see very often
and um just I'm I'm proud of the chief
and the officers for for making that
happen. Uh their focus areas are to
continue transition of the department
leadership. Uh increase enforcement of
speed limits, road clearance, ebikes,
officer retention, training officers,
succession planning, continue those
important safety partnerships with Ross
School and Branson. Um and to continue
building the crime investigation
capacity of the department.
>> I have a a question.
>> Sure. So, first, where are the license
plate readers for FY27? Is that going to
happen?
>> I didn't put them in the budget this
year um because I've not been able to
get them to to agree to our contract
provisions. So,
>> okay. But we we did budget for it last
year. So,
>> we budgeted for it last year, but that
you know there's we have the budget
process, but we also have to I have to
bring things forward to the council to
actually implement them. And that is not
something I've I can it's not ripe to be
brought forward.
>> So I I would like it to be carried
forward into because we already
allocated the funds. So just like you
carried forward other items that weren't
implemented,
>> we've appropriated the funds to do this.
It should just be carried forward until
you can work out the legal problems.
And then the second question I had was
just about the new vehicle for the
police chief. Can you I I thought we
bought recently a new vehicle.
>> Um thank you for the question. We um
we've purchased two patrol cars and last
year we purchased a a hybrid patrol car,
but this is for the the vehicle that the
police chief um uses. It's part of his
employment agreement. It's a take-home
vehicle
>> and um it's outfitted and it's it's
really on its last legs. Um and it's every police chief has a take-home
vehicle so that they can report um to a
um an incident with all of their
equipment in it. Um and you know, we
have two chiefs here, so I'm sure they
can articulate the reasons why. Um so
we've allocated some funding. It's not
for a new new vehicle. It's for a gently
used vehicle, but we wanted to make sure
that we continue to um well, we're we're
spending a lot of money on repair of the
current vehicle. I can't remember how
many miles it has on it. And um I Chief
Pa, if you're here, would you like to
come up?
Thank you for
» All right, here we go. So, the blue book
value of this, it's a a 2011
uh vehicle. The blue book value on it is
$1,000 to $2,000.
The repair of it, it has a cylinder
that's not working. The repair of it is
about $2,400. So, it's going to need to
be fixed. It has 137,000
gently used miles on it.
>> Okay. Thank you for clarifying. You're
>> welcome. Chief Chief, could you um just
expand for the council on what equipment
because it's not just the purchase of
the vehicle. It needs to be outfitted,
>> right? So, it's an emergency vehicle. Uh
it has it it's going to require lights
and sirens. Um and that's because and I
have responded from my home uh in the
North Bay. I've had to respond here a
couple times. uh emerently to get here.
Um that's for a bunch of different
reasons. One um uh if there's any kind
of a critical incident, we've had a few
of them uh over the last we actually
have about one a year, 1 to two a year.
So it requires and and they never of
course happen during 8 to 5. They happen
at 2:00 in the morning. So um so yeah,
so it requires u um the lights and the
sirens. You know, obviously we don't
need a cage or anything like that in the
car, but there is other equipment that
goes in it.
» Okay. Sorry.
>> Yeah.
>> Thank Thank you, Chief.
>> You're welcome.
>> Yeah.
So, I I've since I've been here, I've
you know, this this organization has
been very frugal. Very frugal. And we
need to just be making continued
investments in our our vehicles.
Especially cuz when we found out that by
the time there hadn't been purchase of
patrol vehicles in so many years and
then when we went to purchase patrol
vehicles, there was a big backlog. So um
so this past this current fiscal year
getting a new tractor for the public
works um staff was really important and
we'll just continue to try to you know
our staff needs tools to do do their
work. So thank you for your support. Um
I have one item to add to uh the police
department's page is um I didn't put on
there is uh a focus on community
engagement. You you know that the the
chief has done a lot of of um coffee
popups and you know coffee at at the
churches and with the school parents and
all kinds of stuff like that. So that
continues to be um an a focus area of
the police department.
So in the public works department uh our
building land, street and tree
maintenance costs of 411,000 or 5% more
than the prior budget.
Uh their focus arrows um areas continue
to be uh maintenance and repair of
existing storm drains and repair of
minor drainage trouble spots. Uh their
another focus area is succession
planning. Uh Rich has been training um
staff on how to do encroachment permit
writing, traffic control, road repair
inspections, and utility pavement
markings. Um continued focus on
pedestrian bicycle safety. In the coming
budget, we've got Allen Avenue safe
pathway and road widening project, Sir
Francis Drake pathway rehabilitation,
Laurel Grove pathway phase three, which
is canyon to make grade, and an analysis
of the Bolina Sir Francis Drake
intersection.
Uh other focus areas for the department
are job site safety training for our
maintenance crew
as always the windshift bridge
replacement. Um completing NEPA and
rideway certification in progress with
final design construction completed in
2028.
Identify small project opportunities
signage striping restoration that
improve pedestrian and traffic safety.
and then continued implementation of the
tree management plan to maintain our our
urban um canopy urban forest.
So this is again highlights they do a
lot more than that um and they will be
doing a lot more than that
for our recreation department continued
support for age friendly task force and
um age friendly programming expanding
programming at Basich Elementary in
Kent.
uh enhance our kids club. They want to
improve retention of grades two through
four.
Beginning a three-year phased funding
for tennis court electronic key system.
I believe council member Salter, you
might have brought this up last year.
Um investigate funding and location for
town council consideration of town
botchi courts. So that's something
they'd like to work with and of course
that's something that needs to go to the
council. uh continue their signature
community events, Fourth of July, Turkey
Trot. They want to work on a movie
night, growing partnerships with RPOA
and the Ross Auxiliary to reduce costs
for all the organizations to still put
on high-quality events. And the
department wants to launch birthday
party offerings. They want to boost
their field rental and and engage in
cross promotional marketing.
Uh the planning and building budget it
includes um 229,000 for housing and
general plan consultants.
Uh we we
>> so sorry I I had a question just for the
>> Sure.
>> the last for recreck department. Mhm.
>> This is maybe something to discuss, but
um for those of us that were at live on
the common last week, it was very
popular, very crowded,
>> and it was a great event. I think the
whole community enjoyed it,
>> but I I remember um there was talk of
potentially the town trying to take the events over because they're so
large. I don't know if that's something
that the town still wants to do, but
>> never never wanted to do.
>> Yeah.
>> Okay. Then maybe I mean I it seems like
having our ability to run these events
given the if they get large is something
we might want to think about just
because it there were a lot of people
here. I was just a little concerned if
something went wrong
>> quite frankly and nothing did and
everything was fine, but having um such
a large event being done by RPOA just
concerns me as um because of the
potential for anything to go wrong. And
so that you know if they keep growing
and getting larger and neighboring towns
and people come, which I'm I'm very
happy about. I just want to make sure
that as a town we're doing everything we
can to secure and make sure it's it's a
that nothing nothing goes wrong
essentially.
>> Can we could we talk about that when we
talk about the RPOA request for funding
because I I have some thoughts about
that too.
>> Okay.
>> Absolutely.
>> Great. Thank you.
>> Okay. Thank you for bringing that up,
Council Member Salter. Okay. So, in
planning and building, um we've got
funding in the budget for um housing and
general plan consultants. This is to um
implement our um housing element action
plan, zoning amendments, um objective
standards to streamline the design
review process, things that we committed
uh to getting done in our housing
element and we need some consultant help
to um assist us. Um we are budgeting for
to transfer you have a special fund uh
for the general fund I mean general plan
um fund and so we're transferring
$175,000
into the departmental's operational
budgets to be able to hire consultants
um and that's to uh initiate the general
plan update if you recall it was in the
budget last year we brought forward to
council you had a discussion I recall it
was last August we decided to pause for
a year. Now it's back in the budget into
the work plan and and the staff is
prepared to bring that forward. So we'll
be starting up soon.
Um
one of the focus areas now that the
multi-year fee study process has been
completed, the next step is to um take a
look at our development impact fees that
we have. So um that needs to that needs
to start this year. So there's a little
bit of funding in the budget for that.
Um one of the focus areas is to update
the climate action plan. Um the general
plan update and then further
streamlining of the design review
processes. So these are the focuses for
the coming year and of course to um
onboard our new uh building inspector 2
who starts in May.
So that is um
the main part of my presentation. Rich
Simonich um is going to go through a few
slides that have to do with the capital
improvement program. you did have a a a
good uh discuss a robust discussion
about the and a presentation a couple of
your council meetings ago. Would you
like me to pop forward to the just the
pension discussion right now while I'm
still sitting here? Is that okay? Okay.
Let's see.
Okay.
So um ju just to remind everybody or
anybody that's watching from home. So
what is pension liability? Um unlike you
know a typical retirement plan like a
401k the town has a defined retirement
benefit plan through Kalpers and that
promises lifetime payments to retirees.
The cost of these future payments is
calculated using actuarial assumptions
such as life expectancy and rates of
return. So when the actuarial assumption
does not match reality, a liability can
occur. Our most recent Kalpers valuation
report shows an unfunded acred liability
of 5.7 million for the town of Ross. We
have five we have five different pension
um Calpers pension plans. So um that's a
decrease of 400,000 from the last report
and that is due to a performance Kalpers
had a a stock market performance of
11.6%
which is well more than the 6.8% that
CalPERS expects. So that's a good thing.
Um,
so how has the council addressed pension
liability?
Um, since 2016, the council has made 3.6
million in discretionary payments.
Um, in addition, um,
a while before before my time, the
council actually reduced the
amateurization schedules to pay down the
pension liability from 30 years to 20
years, which resulted in higher costs in
the short run, but much lower costs o
overall due to significantly as less
interest paid. Um also um a while back
um the um the town stopped paying the
police employee share of Kalpers of 7%.
And as of 2018 the police officers
agreed to pay uh 3% of the employer
share of the nominal cost. So that's
part of our labor agreement with that
group. Um, I wanted to give you an
example in
for fiscal fiscal year 21, the the PERS
valuation report of unfunded liability
for the town, it dropped down to $1.7
million because of um a good good
performances. But then the very next
year that unfunded liability tripled to
5.68 68 million because in fiscal year
22 Kalpers had a negative 6.1
performance loss. So you can see I mean
it just really it really fluctuates. Um
each year the town has a mandatory
payment towards its unfunded liability
to Kalpers
and we also pay a what's called a normal
cost for our pension plans which is a
percentage of payroll. employees also
pay a percentage share of payroll
towards their Kalpers's pension plans.
Um,
a couple of years ago, our former
accountant was able to connect up with
an actuary at PERS because we were
trying to figure out so these optional
payowns, all these things that the
council has done for now for 10 years
since 2016, what good is that done?
because it's hard to see it when you see
that going up and down every year. Um,
and the actuary, so this was a couple
years ago, the town's optional, and she
said that the town's optional paydowns
from 2016 to 2021, so 5 years, saved the
town 2.3 million in interest because
Kalpers charges us interest on our
unfunded uh liability. And then each
year since fiscal year 22, the town has
continued to pay down an additional
$200,000. So that's an additional
million dollar. Now, um, Miss Ford tried
to get the actuarial to, you know,
update that figure because, you know,
we're burning with curiosity and, uh,
they're not doing it anymore. So, um, an
option for us to cons continue and I
know the finance um, your finance
subcommittee of of council member Salter
and Mayor McMillan last year we talked
about um, I'd like to get uh, a
consultant to come in and help us take a
look at that, take a look at that. Is
this is this the best way to just
continue these steady payowns or is
there anything else that we can do to
address this issue? Um, so that's a
focus area for the year.
Um, that was all I had for the pension
liability. Were you looking for
something else, Council Member Salter?
>> Yeah. So, one thing in the staff report
is that it says the latest Kalpers
valuation predicts a UI P payment
increase of 15%
for 2027.
>> That's in this what you're talking
about?
>> Yeah, it's in the staff report.
>> Okay, let me look.
>> It's on page
>> eight.
And maybe we shouldn't use Roman
numerals for those of us that are Latin
impaired. Um,
but it's so it says that the the budget
is an increase of 15%. Which is which is
a lot, but we know that the stock market
outperformed their benchmark, but they
haven't updated anything.
So what I'm saying is I actually think
there will be quite a bit of savings
once the numbers get reabulated because
the stock market has performed so well
over the past two years.
>> So even though 2022 was really bad,
we've now seen a lot of increase. And so
that liability will go down. So that $5.7 million will go down, but so
will the mandatory payments even though
it gets amvertised over 20 years.
>> Yeah. Great.
>> So anyway, I but but no, but I'm just
saying it's it's a big cost to the town,
right? So
>> when we start talking about surpluses,
like the fact that we're forecasting 15%
increase to pension cost, that's a lot.
>> So it's I I would love for us to take
this up in the subcommittee. I love the
idea of bringing in a consultant because
pension is a very important topic
>> for most towns and counties and we don't
spend that much time on it
>> which is fine because we've we're
actually in really good shape in terms
of our funded you know funded status but
it's something we should look at every
year with a professional to try to
number one put a better number on the
actual liability but also for the budget
because if we're budgeting you know a
big increase in the pension cost and
then it doesn't come in. I don't want
that to crowd out other expenditures
that we'd like to make when it's just we you know it's it's a relic when
you're doing this planning. We don't
have the numbers yet from the state. So
it's hard to really predict what what
that cost is actually going to come out
to be,
>> right? So we and so we'll be getting the
next valuation this July. It usually
comes in in July. However, the this this
paragraph that you're talking about, and
I direct Elena to it, too, just to
confirm,
we don't it's we don't just come up with
how much we pay Kalpers. They tell us,
>> right?
>> So, it's not optional. They give us the
numbers, we put in our budget. So, we're
not able to decrease. We're not able to
say, "Oh, well, you're telling us we're
going to have they they give us these
projections. They're trying to help us
do our budgeting, but we don't. So, we plug those numbers in.
>> Oh, no, no, I understand that. But they
don't they haven't done all their
tabulations yet, right?
>> No, they've they've they give us numbers
for
>> They do. Yeah. Uh so, every year in
July, they issue uh current year actuals
and uh for a next year projections and
they put numbers and they put rates for
next fiscal year. And for this fiscal
year it happened last July. So we knew
this numbers a year ahead
>> and uh they issue percentage that uh uh
and this is specific percentage for
safety group and uh miscellaneous group
and uh we have this number ahead of
time.
>> Yeah. So I'm saying since they've even
put those numbers in we've seen record
stock market. So I I maybe that the next
when you get in July it's going to be
quite a decrease. You see what I'm
saying? So
>> yeah for but they do give it to us. So this budget is like that's our
number. We have to pay it or kick us
out.
>> I get it. I understand what you're
saying. So it's like this we're always
delayed by this July. We have to finish
our numbers by June.
>> And they issue actual report and this
report is based on numbers that was two
years before correct
>> the actual. So they are delaying two
years. This is why.
>> Yes, exactly. Which is really difficult.
But when we're trying to forecast out
what our like that number of 5.7 might
come back at 2 million or 1.2 based when
they finally redo the valuation
>> and the amount we we're going to have to
pay will go down.
>> So I know it's volatile, but we we don't
spend much time on this. All I'm saying
is that 2022 was a terrible year for
everybody and we're all reliving it, but
there's been a lot that's happened since
then. So, I I think it's just something
we should do in the finance committee
and then come back to the full council
with a report and and working with a
consultant. I think it's a great idea.
>> Okay.
>> Yeah, I agree. I think it would be good
to have a consultant come and give us a
second set of eyes. Should the um you
know, we've been contributing $200,000
each year to you know, to pay down the
liability. Should we be contributing
more? I mean, we're putting a lot of our
surplus into the the um the capital uh
facilities project.
>> Um but maybe we should be increasing
what we're paying more than the $200,000
each year.
>> I It's something the consultant and the
finance ends committee could look into,
but you know, we've kept it at that
level for a while. And you know, we we
do have more money. I mean, we we're
going to need a lot more uh than what's
in the capital fund to do our building
project. And maybe we could
>> peel off a little bit and make our
pension liability a little bit better.
>> Yeah. Or we there's this pars which we
can put money in and it grows. So the
again having a good consultant come in
and say your options are pay it down,
put it in pars, increase the amount
relative so we can see where the best
place to save is. I I don't I mean I
think it's great the town's been doing
this. We've done it blindly. So I I love
this idea of bringing in somebody to
help us work on the pension.
So I just I feel the need to kind of
defend my predecessor because he he did
put a lot of time he started the the
pars but what happened is that the
return on pars was a lot less than what
we were so if we didn't pay down with
pers we're paying more to interest for
pers on what we don't pay down than we
were getting we would get from putting
the money into pars so he did that
analysis but absolutely
We'll update it and
that's a good I will add that to my um
our focus area for the coming year. I've
um
>> well and once we decide about the
facilities, we'll have more flexibility
in terms of
>> money to pay down the pension liability
or other.
>> Yeah. I mean it's whatever you don't
save means that you'll be going to your
taxpayers and they'll be paying they'll
be paying right. So you the town could
pay more or they could pay more and
that's all something for the council to
evaluate and to decide.
Okay. So that's what I had. Did you have
any more questions council member Salter
about the pension issue?
>> No, just like I hopefully we can
reconvene in the finance committee.
>> I've got it on my list
>> as like a priority this year. Yeah,
that's it.
» Okay. So, are we ready to um are you
ready to hear from Rich?
>> Can we take a recess, please?
>> Take a five minute. That sounds great.
>> So, Rich, you'll start at 10:30.
>> Okay, great. Sounds good. Thank you.
» Thank you.
>> You're welcome.
>> Good.
the roll
ready Mr. Simich.
Okay, we are reconvening and we are now
hearing about the CIP.
>> Yes, thank you mayor and council. Uh
Rich Simage, public works director and
uh thanks for saving the uh most
interesting and exciting part of this
budget meeting for the end. Appreciate
that. um CIP purpose and function. Just
uh a review for yourselves and for the
public who may be listening. So the CIP,
it's a five-year projection identifying
improvements, expenses, and revenues
through fiscal year ending in 2030 for
this year, five years ahead. Updates the
CIP forecast as part of the annual
budget process that we are currently uh
going through right now and the past few
months. It's a planning tool to track
and forecast funding for facilities and
infrastructure improvements such as
roadway, pavement, and uh drainage
improvements.
It's a dynamic document that changes
from year to year as priorities, needs,
and fundings change. And um at the
pleasure of the council, it can change
midyear too with with uh budget
adjustments as well.
So the constraints that um I experience
as we are uh developing the five-year
CIP uh we have to take into account uh
engineering staff commitments
engineering staff basically being me and
uh my my consultants that we hire on a
project bypro basis available funding in
the various funds the drainage fund gas
tax fund roadway fund and uh for as far
as the facilities fund fund any
contributions from the from the general
fund.
We also consider the timing of uh other
capital projects that have maybe gone on
a little long been longer than we
thought or uh have dragged on a little
bit like the windship bridge project uh
as year to year causes me uh scheduling
issues on trying to figure out what what
we can and can't do as well as the the
larger undergrounding districts have
that same sort of uh scheduling
constraint on on my time.
uh future public utility projects such
as the undergrounding projects. Um
we do rely on the timing of the grant
funding call for projects for the safe
roots projects um and maybe other uh
local streets and roads projects. like
we don't really know
how and when exactly the Safe Roots the
next round of Safe Roots funding uh will
come or how much is going to be
allocated to that. So uh when we look
ahead to what we want to do with future
Safe Roots projects such as maybe
redoing the Sir Francis Drake pathway
and and other projects like that, we
don't really know. So, we're going to
fit those in year to year as we figure
out what the that's the sort of sort of
funding opportunities um as they come
about. And of course, environmental
restrictions. We see what happened with
the Natalie Coffin Green Park bridges.
Uh things got extended during the design
and planning phase into the uh spotted
owl nesting season and everything had to
come to a halt to uh for the the state's
consultants to determine the uh
environmental situation up there as far
as the uh northern spotting spotted owl
uh nesting season.
Uh really quickly, so this is probably a
familiar graph to you by now. uh we um
gets adjusted uh you know over the past
month but like on a weekly basis as we
kind of determine especially what the uh
how the capital project fund is looking
um you can see that
it's it's been steadily rising. Uh we
got a little bit more injection of a
little bit little bit more additional
funding um from the uh the building
um time limits of construction. A little
bit more funding into there. But you can
see as we and you'll see on the next
slide as we track with the phased
approach to the civic center project um
getting the EMT station uh implemented
as well as the police station
implemented. Uh that that funding
available funding drops off and this is
based on the current I think we we just
saw like a $13 million balance in the
capital projects fund.
Um, and then those the two lines on the
bottom, the darker line at the lower end
is the drainage fund. It's it's
maintaining fairly steady in the million
dollar range, upper million, mid million
um throughout the next five years. The
roadway uh fund starts dropping off a
bit. I'm I'm trying to manage that with
keeping our uh payment index at least as
good as it is without it it uh degrading
any and hopefully we can pick up a few
points on that. But it by the time it
gets to 2029 2030
um my successor will have to watch
carefully about what sort of payment
programs payment projects we want to
look at with respect to the roadway
fund.
This is a quick look at the uh forecast
of the expenditures for the capital
project fund um based on the phased
approach at at least of spending what we
currently have in our capital projects
funding which uh is um forecast to
accommodate the construction of the new
paramedic facility and police station um
and including the
planning costs and design costs to get
that completed by 2029.
The years are kind of left off of the
top, but it it um it 2030 is the last
column or the second to last column and
then 2029 2028 going backwards. Uh so by
2029 that's um will be fairly uh
exhausted with the with the current
available funding. Um that's what you
see in this graph here.
So look at capital projects uh currently
forecast and um with this go around. Of
course this is all going to be uh
buttoned up by the June hearing and um
so we can go over pretty quickly what we
have. So current fiscal year 2026 that
we're going to be finishing up here in
June. We are going to get the Natalie
Coffin Green Park uh PE bridges
installed. Um I'm fairly confident
that's going to happen uh in in May and
um almost definitely before the end of
the fiscal year. We have the drainage
improvement project um that is we uh
actually had a bid opening yesterday on
that and we'll be discussing that at the
next week's uh council meeting. It went
well and uh we are finishing up the
Bolinus drain phase three project or
phase two went really well. Uh we do
have the final portion of that project
to um break through to the creek and put
the drainage or the the outlet structure
in. Um we have to wait until the summer
because of certain environmental
constraints on that, but that should be
completed in July. We look to the end of
fiscal year 2027.
Uh we have the civic center project uh
currently forecast and we have the civic
center uh undergrounding project moving
forward. Uh in continuous conversations
with PG& and Harris Associates, our
undergrounding consultant uh to get that
moving forward
or keep it moving forward. fiscal year
in 2028. The civic center and Winship
Bridge will be the major capital
projects that um is currently forecast.
And then 2029 2030 uh continuing with
getting this the uh town civic center
facilities uh constructed and wrapped
up.
And then paving projects. We have uh Sir
Francis Drake coming up here in the uh
just right as school gets out. We're
going to be starting that one up. And
that is uh the bid opening for that is
actually today after this meeting. So,
we'll get some bids in on that and we'll
discuss that the results of that at uh
next week's council meeting or it'll it
may be consent items or but available
for for uh discussion. The Shady Lane
pedestrian pathway, we awarded that um
well, we that's the next item today. um
where we did get a a good set of bids on
that and that'll be constructed in May
and I'll be talking about that uh after
this presentation. We got Morrison Road
which was in uh seriously uh degraded
shape. We got that paved. I think they
did it in the matter of like 3 days. It
went really well. Uh finally everybody
up there in Morrison Roads happy that we
finally showed them a little bit of uh
consideration there. uh next fiscal year
ending 2027.
And this has changed since the last time
I presented the uh the roadways to you,
trying to figure out how to um best get
the best bang for the buck uh to keep
our pavement condition index at least
maintaining a level
um level status, maybe push it up a
little bit. So, uh, next year we're
looking at doing the cluster of roads up
there off of Log Anita Hill Road, West
Road, and East Road. And then, uh, we
also want to move forward with, uh,
getting that Allen Avenue pedestrian
pathway constructed, which we do have a,
um, TAM measure AA, safe pathways grant
of $100,000 to do that project. into
fiscal year end 2028. We move on to the
Canyon Road winding way area and that'll
also be combined with getting that
Laurel Grove safe phase three completed.
2029 we want to look at that publicly
maintained portion of Baywood Avenue and
then into 2030 uh Upper Road which is um
in need of some repair as well.
So, a little bit of a discussion on the
Ross common field rehab. This wanted to
bring this up because it has the
potential to be a major capital uh
project and it's going to it, you know,
it's going to require hiring
consultants, landscape architects, uh
developing uh bid documents,
specifications,
and uh a lot of public input.
uh especially if we go with the final uh
or the third choice of doing the
extensive restoration of the entire
field. Um and then the actual
construction of the field and then the period where we want to let it
restore uh could be up to between 12 and
18 months maybe maybe more maybe less.
Um but I did want to bring that up. So
um
for discussion competition with over
subscribed facilities funding of course
requires prioritization
between competing facilities projects of
course uh our multi-use unfenced public
field is unique in Ross Valley. Uh as we
saw last weekend um we had just seated
the field and then a thousand people got
right on top of it. So, um you don't see
that too often here in Ross Valley. Uh
extensive restoration programs will
require again uh up to 12 to 18 months
closure for construction and proper
establishment.
» Yes.
>> When you're talking about the the
common, are you also including the Grove
area or are you just including the the
area where the kids play? It's just the
playfield we're considering. I don't I
don't think the Grove really needs any
uh injection of capital resources unless
the council
>> No, I think I agree with that. I just
wanted to be clear. Yep. Thank you.
>> Good question.
So um the options that we discussed last
time uh the maintain status quo
uh do a nominal improvement program
increase signage and fertilization
uh do an interim re rehab plan where we
replace the most distressed portions of
the of the field um or we do the
complete replacement of turf subbase and
irrigation systems um for which is
estimated up to 1 million that you that
includes consultant time uh bid and
construction management as well as the
actual uh capital costs of that. Um
so that ends my presentation of the
current status of the capital five-year
capital improvement program and um open
to any questions, comments or discussion
on those items.
>> Questions?
So I mean I I think it would be nice to
make a try to get to some determination
on what to do with the field because we
have all discussed it, thought about it,
contemplated it and I know that um
I know that we are always waiting for
this what's going to happen to the civic
center but as we all know other things
like the roads have to be fixed like
things have to happen in the town aside
from that big project. So, I I like I'd
like us to discuss that
>> and I agree we should discuss it. I'm
wondering if there's any public comment
on the the field options.
>> No hands are raised.
>> There's one in the chamber. Yeah.
>> My apologies.
>> That's okay.
>> Um, hi Patrick Whitney. I've been up to
several meetings now to speak
specifically about Rosins.
um to speak specifically about the Ross
Commons. Um I've mentioned the you know
the 255 signatures we've gotten. I've
submitted some information about
Memorial Park which gives us a blueprint
for all that. I understand there's a lot
of things that need to happen. Um, but I
would just go back to for this town,
this small community,
beautiful community. This is this is the
place for our not only our whole
community, but our kids. We have a
school right there. Yes, they use it.
That should be a reason that we should
be considering it and doing it in my
opinion.
If you know RVLLL and a few other uh
organizations have mentioned that they
would be be partners in this, they would
help with funding. I will be more than
happy to raise my hand and help with
some fundraising
uh private fundraising with the
community. Having said that, I do think
that this is a responsibility of the
town. We pay property taxes. It's the
number one revenue generator that you
said. So, I I think it's time to do it.
I'm sort of at a point where I don't
want us to just keep kicking this can
down the road. Let's make a decision. It
is where we spend all of our time and I
think that there is so much more that we
could be doing there. I understand
there's a lot of things to balance
financially and activities and and
different things that need to get done,
but I'm at a point where I feel like we
just need to do this and the town has
spoken for it. I'm here to help. I want
to be a partner in this with you guys
and it's a I think it's a critical piece
for our community. So, thank you.
>> Thank you. Anybody else in here? No.
Okay. Um,
what do people think about prioritizing
and redoing the common?
Well, I'll make some comments. I I think
that it's to me it seems clear that the
community is interested in um redoing
the entire common. At a recent meeting,
the school superintendent made it clear
that uh that he wasn't going to take a
position, but that he would be okay uh
that the school could work around a
complete renovation of the common. So, I
feel that we have the school's blessing
to go forward. We have the community's
urging to go forward. We have money in
the capital projects fund and yes, it
would cost a certain amount of money,
maybe up to a million dollars. um uh but
our capital projects will cost so much
more that we will need to get additional
funding for our building project either
way. So I don't think that it will be a
real hit to the capital projects fund to
take out money to restore the common. Um
I'm not a fan of people having to donate
money to make this happen. I don't I
don't think I think we should decide
should it be redone, yes or no, and then
decide um should it come out of the
town's funds or should there be
donations. But the reason I'm not a fan
of donations is that um everyone's
already paid their taxes. We've already
paid for this and you don't need to pay
extra if you want your street repaved.
It's part of the town's maintenance. And
I think this should be part of the
town's maintenance and a a measure of
how of what poor shaped the field in was
brought to us last year when we learned
that that someone tripped on one of the
holes and and broke her foot. And you
know that to me that was sort of game
over. We need to fix this immediately.
So I think we have town support and I
think we have the money. And I also
think that as we move forward on
building whatever we build, we're going
to need more money and we will need
goodwill to get yes votes for a bond
measure. And I think by by moving
forward on a project that I think has
widespread support, we will actually
have more support to for additional
funds through a bond measure for our
building project.
» So I just would say I agree with
everything that council member Robin
said. Um, people have already paid their
property taxes. I think that there will
be a ton of fundraising that will go on
just by the nature of this community
that is always giving and wants to give.
I know that the baseball community will pitch in and and people put little
names on on things all over the place.
So, I'm actually not worried about the
funding. I think it will come. And the
biggest reason to do this is it's
necessary. And I think when I look at
this issue of the civic center, the
reason why the civic center needs to be
redone is we never did the capital
maintenance on it that it it required. I
live in a very old house. It's over 100
years old, but the owners of that home
over the years have kept it and
maintained it. There are there are
things in Europe, there are buildings in
Europe from the 1600s that people use as
offices today. The reason they can do
that is they keep the capital
maintenance. And I think that we've been
very frugal as a town and we just
haven't done the maintenance that we
should do when we sort of do band-aid
fixes. And those band-aid fixes only get
you so far. And those of us that use the
common all the time have noticed the
drainage issues and the irrigation
issues. And I think that the town public
works department has done the best they
can. I really do. I don't think that
it's been an issue that we're not. It's
just time for it to be completely
redone. And I think it's going to be a a
trophy for this town. I want to just
reiterate the point that council member
Robbins brought up about we also need to
sell the community on this big project
we want to do here. And there's no
better way to do that by saying, "Hey,
look at this great new field. Look at
what the town can do for you." And it's going to be contentious because
it's been contentious. So I think it's a
good saying, "Hey, your government's
working for you. We want this town to be
beautiful and we want to put in the
improvements that will last another
hundred years and it just it's just time
to do it.
» Well, I I do think it's it should be
done. Um I do think it's it's um it
should be a priority.
When we talked about this before, my
concern was I don't have a price tag on
whatever the advisory committee is going
to propose. I'm hoping it's something
that's doable. I agree we're going to
have to go to the voters to get the
whole thing done. We have $13 million.
That's undoubtedly not going to cover
the whole thing.
I do know that it's going to be a very
difficult season at the general election
for any kind of tax measure. I mean,
we're seeing that not just locally, but
nationally. There's so many things
that'll be on the ballot. And u I'm a
little concerned about a kind of a
taxpayer revolt even in Ross. It is
appealing to me that we should, you
know, it would be nice to have this too
to go to the voters and say we need
these improvements in our town
irrespective of what's happening
somewhere else.
On the other hand, to get that passed, I think we the less we can ask the
taxpayers to do, the more likely it is
it'll pass. I think people are going to
feel very pressured, even people that
may be comparatively well off.
You know, I think we're going to have
some concern about all these ballot
measures.
So, I'm just telling you what's going
through my head. I'm not giving you a
final decision. Um I'm looking forward
to our hearing next week.
Um, but uh let's just say I'm sort of
leaning towards including something like
this in in in our budget. It's a budget.
We can always revise the budget. We can
add to it. I am hoping we'll get some
public support for this project, too. I
mean, what Elizabeth said, that makes
sense to me. But still, every dollar
counts, I think. I mean, to me to say,
well, we're going to have to go for a
lot of money, so why not make it some
more money? I I can't approach it quite
that way. I understand the argument, but
I I do think um
I do think that the we can be fiscally
responsible and still do something about
the common. I don't think this 70 to
$80,000
project is going to make much
difference.
Uh and I think this is an important
thing for the community.
So, I don't think I've been specific
enough, but that's that's where I'm
leaning.
» Um, I'm not sure about the timing of
when the money would be allocated, but I do support the complete replacement.
Uh, item number four on the slide. Um I do think it's appropriate to ask to to
finance this with our partners, the
other people who use the field. Um I
think
we may make the improvements, let's say
this year, next year, but you're going
to have to do ongoing maintenance. And I
think if people have an investment and
organizations have had an investment in
the field, they're going to keep it up
because we still have to keep it up once
we do the changes. So I would really
look for um financial support from some
of the partners who use the field and
have it not 100% on the town.
So
and I think that we do need to redo the
whole common. Um I was at a funeral of
um Roger Poor who was on the council
like 40 years ago maybe. Um, and he got
elected to the council because he before
he ran decided that the common needed to
be redone and he organized tons of
volunteers and they bought turf and they
removed the old turf and they rolled out
the new turf and that was his campaign
for getting elected to the council and I
think that was the last time that the
common had been redone. Um, I think the
timing is tricky because we have so much
ahead of us and I'm also really worried
about the capacity of our staff. And so
I think with built in any kind of a
budget, we need to have a separate
person to spearhead and handle and and
manage all of this stuff. It can't be on
the existing staff because I think the
existing staff is already extremely
tapped out. Um, I think we, you know, we
should ask Ross Valley Little League and
other partners um to contribute. If they
contribute, that's great. It's less
money that the town has to shoulder. I
don't think we should have an
expectation that they're going to be
contributing, you know, 20% of the
budget or something like that. But it
should be a symbolic contribution. Um, I
think it's also an opportunity to look
at those back stops and do those back
stops have to remain in place, you know,
at 365 days a year or should they just
remain during the T-ball um, season and
so they can be moved and then the common
can be open. Um, so I think it's timing
and staff time that we need to consider.
Um, and we I think when we get the
proposal from this committee next week,
we can have a final conversation about
the common at the June 11th meeting when
we are adopting the final budget. But I
think there's pretty clear consensus
that that a major replacement needs to
be done.
>> Julia, I have a question. So is it's not
too late if we agreed after hearing the presentation next week if we agreed
that we wanted to redo the common now
it's not too late in July to add that to
the budget. Is that correct?
» So um
no I mean the the the question is going
to be where in the CIP are we going to
put it? Um, so I agree. I I'm hearing
consensus that council doesn't want to
do the the smaller projects, wants to do
the full renovation, but you don't have
council consensus to put it in the the
CIP now. That's not what I'm hearing
from you.
>> But my question is, if we had a
consensus in in June, is that is that
soon enough or does that mean if we get
consensus in June, do we have to wait a
whole year or could we put it in the
budget at that June meeting? So, and so,
okay, so this is what'll happen. So, we
don't have consensus now, so we won't be
adding it into the CIP now.
Then, when we bring this forward to you,
because remember, you're not meeting in
May. When we bring this forward to you
at your June meeting, just don't want
you managing expectations here. It's not
going to be in there what you see. But
at that meeting, you could say you'd
like to you'd like staff to um if that's
the consensus of the council, you'd like
staff to put it into the CIP. Remember,
it's a five-year CIP. And so we would
come back
before Rich leaves, we would come back
and have figured out where in the CIP
because I'll need to work with him on
the project timeline and all that kind
of stuff and figure out how we would be
amending the CIP.
So we'd have to come back to you. But I
mean the answer is yes. I mean this is a living this is a working
document. So it's not it doesn't have to
wait a full year if we wanted to move
forward as well.
>> Yeah. But remember there's a difference
between if you're talking about amending
the CIP and when you say waiting a year
you're not you don't so the answer is
no. You don't have to wait a year to
amend your capital improvement program
amend the document but you were going to
be waiting more than a year to start the
project. So I just want to make sure
that we're clear on that. If we had a
consensus today, would we still be
waiting a year to start the project?
>> Oh, absolutely.
>> Okay. So, there's not a real difference
between Absolutely. Okay, that's fine.
And then Juliano, you mentioned about
looking into the back stops. So, I don't
know that it's widely known, but when we
redid the field before, we made that
very nice back stop by by the Ross well
by Tony, what's now Tony Tudos and made
it black and put benches and so that it
would be there all the time and look
nice. And the other one is so minimal
and so, you know, kind of ugly because
it was meant to be there just for the
spring months of baseball and then
removed and that even some discussion
about receding the bases, you know, in
the offseason so that it it didn't ever
look like there had been a backs stop
there. So, that is something to
consider. How does how does the town
want to use the field and would we want
it to revert back to the temporary use
that we thought we had agreed to? um or
should it, you know, be there
permanently? And you know, maybe the
live on the common changes that a bit
because that back stops right in the
middle of where people are for live on
the common. But it was something that
was was agreed to many years ago and
then never um that agreement never
really stuck. It just that that back
stop stayed there all the time. I recall
there being a conversation too of
shifting that little back stop to be
closer to the black top playground so
people were hitting out onto the
little teams.
>> So, these are all these are all issues
the council and the community
>> would be weighing in on in the the
development of the project, the design
of the project, etc., etc.
>> Lots of opportunities.
>> I think that we I'm sorry, I didn't mean
to cut anyone off. I think there will be
lots of other issues we'll be
addressing. We've talked about signage,
we've talked about dogs, all these
things. That's fine. We can talk about
it. I mean, I think the big big decision
now and what staff is seeking guidance
on is is simply do we want to put
something in next year's budget? And
I'm, as I said, I'm leaning in that
direction.
>> Yeah. Sorry. I think that personally I'm
maybe I'm hearing a different
conversation. I feel like it should be
in the CIP and if we need to remove it,
we could remove it. Everybody here seems
to want to do something. So, I don't
know why we wouldn't put it in the CIP
and start the budget and and just
knowledge that whoever's coming in to be
the head of public works. We really want
to get this project started. I I I
honestly I think whatever happens next
week is irrespective. It's very obvious
that everyone's agreeing we need to do a
big project. It's a matter of when. In
terms of staff time, I just want to note
we have David Kelly. We've hired a
project manager person. If the new
public works director says, "Hey, I need
somebody's help to do the big field
project," we would hire that person. But
what the CIP in this whole budget
exercise is what are what's the vision
of the town? How do we want to implement
that vision? And I think this needs to
be in the document now. Like we want to
do this because we need to set it as a
priority and the timing of when it
happens. You have to remember too is
that this building, even if we say
great, we like the new plan next week,
get going. There's an entire
environmental review study that has to
happen. There's so much that will have
to happen before this building starts
actually being shovel ready that there
is time in between there to potentially
redo the field. So I I I I really don't
think we should wait any longer. It's
been discussed. Everybody seems to want
to do something. Let's put it in the
plan as our our vision. Let's take it
out if there's a problem. But I don't
know why we wouldn't put it in the CIP
now.
I mean that sounds reasonable. It's not a commitment. It's sort of a
you know an expectation of where we will
go in the future. I'm a little confused
about why why what's the difference
between now and June
>> because I honestly I'm just going to
tell you the public sees these documents
>> and I think when it comes out in June
like
>> I was shocked when I read the staff
report that this wasn't even in the CIP
or in the staff report to talk about the
field after we had spent all these
meetings talking about it. So it's a
showing to the community that the
council believes this is an important
project. We're putting it in the CIP. If
we have honestly what would what would
happen? We delay when we would do it. If
let's say our priorities changed and we
said we need more money for the civic
center. Let's we would have this item
that says Ross common rehab and instead
of it being in the early years, it would
come in the later years. But it's still
saying we want to put this million
dollars or whatever allocation to it.
And I'm just going to make this clear.
We have this item here, the
undergrounding of the San Franc, you
know, Sir Francis Drake for 2.6 million,
which I've totally been opposed to, but
most of that is coming in fiscal year
2728.
It's $2 million then. So, this is this
is a planning document. It's really
where do we slot it, but we're all
saying we want to do this, so it should
be on there. It's just a matter of when.
A benefit I guess of putting it in is
that we don't have to talk about it in
June.
>> Unless someone wants to take it off,
right?
>> Yeah. Bill.
>> Okay. Question. Uh so if we say yes,
we'd like it in the capital the CIP.
Then staff has to make a a decision as
to where to put it
because it's a fiveyear plan.
>> So are we turfing something then? I
mean, how would that work, Christa, if
we said, "Yeah, we want to do it." Would
staff then make a recommendation as to
where to slot it in?
>> Yeah, we we would come back. I mean,
that's the purpose of today's
>> workshop is for you to make these. You
could have brought up other things, too.
Um, is we would we'll come back and when
we return in in at your June meeting,
the CIP, the draft CIP would look
different. And we'd we' I'd have to work
with Rich on the timing. I mean it it
absolutely would be multi-year project
and so it we would have to kind of
figure out how much money do we because
like so another example is it's not a
capital project but like the general
plan update is going to be a multi-year
project. So we didn't throw all the
money in this year. There's a little bit
of there's a certain amount of money for
us to start the project this year and
then we're going to have to add to it in
the second year. So, um I will ask Rich
to add on or
you have anything to add on?
>> Um yeah, we I mean we kind of have a
price that we, you know, we're looking
at, you know, we budget in a million
dollars. Um we don't need SQA, it's
existing facilities.
Um but we do need to figure out the um
the civic center expenditures. I mean,
you saw the graph. It's it goes to zero
in 2029.
Are we going to pull more out of some
reserve funding or something? That's the kind of stuff Kristen needs
and I need to figure out is is how to
fund it and where that million dollars
or so is going to come from over
probably a span of of two to three
years. Um, luckily the the the project
itself was vetted through the landscape
master plan. We don't need to do that,
but we do need additional input from
council and definitely from public. So,
yeah, it's it's a two maybe three year
process, but we we need to basically
figure out where the you know, what's
going to pay for this, how it works out,
and the next week's discussion is going
to um influence the where we're going to
go with that as well. It's probably a
maybe a very potent uh significant
level. We don't know. as well as the you
mentioned the undergrounding of Sir
Francis Drake. We don't know what's
being proposed next week. That that may
itself may require the undergrounding as
well. So we need to wait I think uh in
between next week and June and I will
work up a plan on how to implement it
over the within the current five year.
So, are we just all agreeing let's put
it in and you figure out when and how to
fit it in at some point for to come back
in the June meeting with it in this
plan.
>> Is there anyone who disagrees with that?
>> That seems that seems reasonable.
>> You guys good with that?
>> Yep.
>> Good with that.
>> I I agree. I think u I'd like to see
what it looks like. That would help. So,
we'll have the benefit of whatever we
learn next week and we'll have the
benefit of this and
as we as we know and as we hear
confirmed today, we can always change it
if it's not going to work. But I'd like
to I'd like to start out on the planning
part
>> and we still may need to talk about it
in June.
>> Yeah. Well, sorry. One last item that
you brought up, Bill, that I wanted to
address is regarding the timing of when
we would go to the market for a bond
issuance or ask the voters. I want to be
very clear. I completely agree with you.
the November ballot. I've spoken with
Mimi Willard. It's very problematic with
lots of taxes because the town has saved
so much money. We we actually don't need
the money appropriated for a while
because we have 13 million basically in
the bank. So just so the whole council's
aware, the timing of when we have to go
to the voters is is not in November.
It's not a requirement.
>> Um so I'll make two comments about that.
I don't think we can start this huge
project unless we have all the funding
lined up. We've saved half maybe, but we
still need half more. So, I think we
need to line up the funding. The other
thing that I will mention is before you
got on the council, Matt, we were going
to do a special election to renew the
public safety parcel tax. And I thought,
oh, I need to go talk to Mimi Willard
just to make sure she's cool with that.
and she was not happy at all with us
having a special election for renewing
the public safety parcel tax. Cost is
adamantly opposed to any special
election for a tax. Adamantly opposed.
So we had already approved the
resolution. We had to resend the
resolution and put the renewal of the
parcel tax on a regular election.
Otherwise, she said point blank, I'm
going to write the ballot argument
opposing this special election parson
tax. So, I think we, you know, I think
maybe they're going to oppose it. I
don't know. Um, but they're definitely
going to oppose it if we put it on
special election.
Why don't we take this up as an item in
terms of obviously next week we're going
to get a a new idea, but the timing of
when the need I know we had that
consultant come in, but when we actually
would need to get a vote and whether
that that could be next June, there's
elections every spring, so it doesn't
need to be a special election. There's
regular elections all the time in the
spring. So I I'm just being very clear
that there we do not need the money if
we have saved and it's the project will
not again bu you you can talk about the
amount of prep work and studies that
have to be conducted before we can even
put a shovel in the ground here is
years. So it's we have a lot of time
before we're actually spending the money
to build this facility. And I actually
think we're in better position once we
have all the information like the
studies are are are completed and it
looks like we're ready for shovel ready.
>> Chie, do you have any comments on
whether we can go ahead with a project
when we don't have all the funding lined
up?
So again, we're we're
we need to get an architect on board
because if you notice in the CIP, the
draft CIP that's before you, what's
different about it from last year is I
took right last year, last couple years,
it's just been this
civic center project. I wanted to be so
I took it and we broke it up. We updated
all the costs. We had updated cost
information. And so now the CIP has has
paramedic facility, police station,
they're both upwards of $4 million. And
then we have one that's the um uh master
plan implementation.
when we have the architect on board,
I'd like that person to talk about
phasing our projects because we have a
remember January 2029 deadline to get
the paramedic facility up and running
and a police station that's
disintegrating. So, um,
we have we so I'm I'm I hope that an
architect is going to help us figure out
how to do that. And then we could say,
well, let's build a police station. and
let's build the paramedic facility and
worry about the rest of the facility
later when we and so if we were to phase
it then maybe we could be we wouldn't
have to have it all right now but absent
that
why would the council
you you're going to have you have to
have a financing plan I mean you have to
know how we're going to be able how
we're going to afford this because
you wouldn't you wouldn't want to commit
yourself to the entire project without
knowing where the money's coming from.
>> So, we know where the money is coming
from. We do need a bond issuance. You've
been spending money. You've hired David
Kelly. You've hired consultants to look
at things. We've had all these plans
drawn up
well before we're actually putting a
shovel in the ground. And we will need
to do an extensive SQA and environmental
impact study that's going to take over a
year. So there you don't need the money
in November because we it's going to be
over a year. We all we're doing is
hiring consultants to do an
environmental study. The the the you
hiring David Kelly right now. Why are we
paying him? Because we're starting to to
do the preliminary work for a big
project. The big project isn't going to
be built for over a year because we need
to do the environmental study. And the
Windship Bridge, which I keep bringing
up, took a long time to do the
environmental study. And then they found
Indian remains and then they had to deal
with that. So there's a lot that is
between the day we actually put a shovel
in the ground from today. And so what
I'm telling you is you do not need to go
to the voters and say we need all the
money right now because we don't we don't even know what the plan
is at this point. And we know it's going
to be a big study before we can actually
do the plan. So the fact that you want
to go to the voters now seems almost
like I don't know. I don't know why
you're doing it. Maybe we should wait
and discuss this after we get the
recommendation next week when there's
more concrete information. Um there's so
many different moving parts to all of
this. Um but I think we have guidance on
the CIP and what we're going to discuss
or maybe not discuss on July June 11th
with the budget and um we can discuss
more about timing of financing and bond
stuff next week.
I I agree. I mean, at least hopefully
we'll have a sense of what our plan is.
it the current plan? Is it something
different? And then we can figure out
how we implement whatever the plan is.
>> Could I could I just add something?
Phasing is a definite possibility.
Of course, I I can't say more until I
see what what the plan actually is. But
before the advisory committee, when I
was talking to Bob Herpst about this, I
saw the potential for phasing it. But
the devil's in the details here. You do
need architects to help you and so
forth. What we don't want to do is end
up with a half completed building that's
not functional at all. We've already
torn it down. Everybody's in temporary
facilities over in Magic's parking lot
and we don't have the funds. I doubt
that'll happen. But if we can phase it
so that each phase is complete and
functional and then we'll do the others
as we can, that would work. But we need a lot more information uh to get
to that point. But I hope we do get to
that point because I think that's a nice
alternative. And if we had that and we
had a degree of confidence in it, I
would I would probably favor starting on
it and then we'll we'll figure out how
to get the rest of the funds.
>> And I'll just offer and then we can to
discuss this next week. Um, it's going
to be cheaper if we do everything at
once, right? It's going to be less
disruption. It's going to be more
efficient, etc. So,
um, okay. What's next, Christa?
>> So, that was the that's the input about
the CIP. Um,
uh, and about the budget. Did you need
anything else, Rich? Okay. I just wanted
to summarize what I I I've heard. So,
um, no changes to the town goals. Um,
include, um, the mayor asked that we put
together something about the
achievements, uh, for the current fiscal
year in the Ross review. Um, to add back
in the funding for the, um, license
plate readers,
um, have the finance committee. We'll
talk about a pens pension. And I I I
have a little bit of miscellaneous money
in the budget. I'll just use that for
the uh per um a pension consultant. I
think I I I don't think we need more
money for that. Um and then regarding
the common, so the council's consensus
is to do the big project and we will add
it into the five-year CIP. And I'm glad
the council is understanding that it's
going to be, you know, we'll have a new
public works director hopefully coming
on board in the beginning of August.
It's going to it's going to take some
time to get everything in place. Plus,
there's a lot of other players groups
and Russ recreation um depends on the
field as does the school. So, there's
going to be a lot of moving parts to
that and we'll have to figure out how we
can um staff it all. So, that's what I
heard. Is there anything that I didn't I
didn't get
that works. Okay. Well, I thank you for
all your time on that. We have a couple
of more agenda items. Um, oh,
specifically the uh our RPOA request.
>> Yes.
>> Get back to the agenda here. Number
seven. Number seven.
>> Okay. Um,
okay. All right.
Hold on just a minute.
Thanks, Rich.
Okay. Um, mayor and council. Um, so this
agenda item is a request from the Ross
Property Owners Association for um, town
funding.
um they've uh I think this is the third
or this is the third year I think or
fourth year that we've done it this way
where we've asked them to come forward
in your budget meeting so that the
council can uh review this in in the
context of your whole budget. Um and
this year they have uh uh submitted a
request for funding in the amount of
12,000 of $25,500.
And so we're asking that you consider
this request and then provide direction
to me regarding the amount of funding to
include in the fiscical year 27 budget.
Uh the staff report contains a little
bit of history and then attached to the
staff report is the RPOA's uh request
talks a little bit about some of their
um past projects and their initiatives
that they plan to do in the upcoming
year. And then I could direct your
attention to the table that they
provided in the back. The first table is
um their projects for which they're
specifically requesting town um
commitment to put towards and there's a column for the RPA's commitment, a
column for the their the money they're
requesting from the town and the total
costs. And then the second one is a um a
table about the other things that um our
POA does and which they're not asking
for council um for the town to commit
funding to. And we've also added a few
items that um down here that we
contribute funds to in our existing
budget either through um staff resources
and other resources such as we staff the
age friendly um the age friendly
initiative and uh we also do the turkey
trot and then RPOA provides some funding
to the town. So it's an it's a it's a
good partnership. Um, you might also
want to talk about the call your
attention to uh the live on the common
events. RPOA is asking for funding for
three live on the common events and um
the total cost of the events has
increased and you might want to I think
Mr. Kobick is here um and he can maybe
answer any questions the council might
have about the the the the scale of the
events that they're proposing. And I
know our chief and our public works
director would um like to provide um
some um comments to the council about
last week's event.
>> Okay.
>> Thank you.
>> Um Jeeoff, do you want to address
anything right now? No. Okay.
All right. Um, one other thing I
think we should think about is the town
dinner. I know this isn't part of the
RPOA request, but we've talked about um
the town dinner and I think currently
there's a whole date of September 18th.
Um, and if you look at the other live on
the common events, August 21st,
September 11th, and October 16th, that
would be four town events in a two-month
time period. So,
it seems like a lot. And I'm I I
personally think that the Live on the
Common events have been so successful
and they've kind of replaced the need
for a town dinner. And I I would
appreciate hearing other people's
thoughts on that. Um, it would probably
save the town, I don't know, like
$10,000,
um, if we did not have another town
dinner. Um, I feel like it's kind of
outlived its useful life given all the
other activity that our PA is doing.
>> Terry, are there different people who go
to the town dinner than go to Live on
the Commons? Is it the same group or is
it different? I' I'd like to ask our rec
manager, Moren Borthwood, to respond,
please.
» Thank you, Christa. Um, I would say
overall it's it's probably around the
same people that attend. It is very
different events, though. Um, the town
dinner is a little bit more quaint, more
true community focused, less outside
marketing. Um, so I do think they are
very different events. I wouldn't
necessarily um group them as one. How
many people go to the dinner generally?
The last dinner especially, I think it
was pretty successful.
>> Yeah, there was around 300 uh a little
over 300 people last uh last year.
>> Okay.
>> Yeah.
>> I I'm surprised to hear that because my
impression was there were more children
at the live on the common events
versus adults and then a reverse for the
town dinner, but that's not the case.
It's sort of the same cross-section. I
can't speak too much to the Live on the
Commons. I haven't been to too many to
be honest with you. Um the last one I
was at, there was quite a few children
at the Live on the Common. Um and the
town dinner, we definitely Yeah, we have
a lot of families. I mean, it's true.
Ross, so we have a lot of families. We
have age friendly. It's it's
intergenerational.
>> So, I um I like the idea a lot, Julie. I
think what we could do is for one of the
live on the commons, why don't we say
live on the commons and town dinner and
then maybe we just piggy back on the
event and add more tables, which is
really all you need because the band's
already there. We the town could join
and just make sure we have enough food
trucks, which is always great. Um, but I
think we could just pair them together
and just say this that maybe it's the
date in September, the one that's
closest to when you wanted to do town
dinner, and we combine forces and make
it an event and just make it real clear
this is the live on the commons and town
dinner together.
>> I think that's a really good idea
because I mean I know some people I
spoke with were shocked at the idea of
abandoning the time the town dinner. I
was kind of surprised. I really expected
people to say, "Oh yeah, nobody goes."
But there are some people who go. um and
adding more tables and especially where
they are is kind of at the side of the field where the music is because
many of the people who go to the town
dinner want to talk and have a dinner
and you can't do that in the middle of
the field because of the music from the
band. So it it might be a perfect way of
having kind of the band on one side and
tables where they are now but many more
and um and and the tables at Love on the
Comet are sort of open so anybody can
sit anywhere and I think that's a nice
openness for you know for any event that
you don't have to come with 10 friends
and sit down and own a table anybody can
stop by. So I think that's a great idea.
>> If I if I may that's okay. I think
that's um an very interesting idea. Um
and we've been meeting with RPOA and
Janine Chock specifically um quite often
to discuss these things. So uh we did
discuss the September event and they are
locked in to their band contractually.
So, I think that this is something even
just for this year, something we can
potentially try. Um, and then maybe next
year, maybe town dinner turns into a,
you know, every other year or something.
Um, and we can work more closely with
our POA and establishing establishing
that event timeline.
>> Just to ask you, Marine, if we combined
it and just asked for more tables, like
do you think it's we could you could
facilitate?
>> I think that that's possible. Yeah, I
think that the tables could be in the
Grove um and we can make it um you know
make let the ambiance feel kind of like
town dinner um with the added um band.
My only I guess constraint or potential
issue is the noise. Yeah. Is the band.
The band's much louder. You know, we try
to have the um the ambiance of town
dinner to be a little bit more um like
jazz and you're having dinner and you
can get to know thy neighbor. Um so I
think we would have to just work
together on that. But I think if the
tables are in the grove area, it's much
it's not nearly as loud in the grove
area and they can be sort of spread out
through the grove area. I think the
noise I think noise won't be an issue
for the dinner based on where the tables
are placed.
>> And by the way, Marine, I remember there
being that funk band.
So sometimes the town dinner can be a
lovely entertainment as well, but I
agree. We just want to make sure the
band's appropriate for the the the
>> the dinner. Yeah. Do we know what band
they're having on September 11th?
>> I do not write in front of me, but
that's potentially just I can ask I can
provide you all with that information.
>> Well, it sounds like we have consensus
to kind of combine at least for this
year live on the common town dinner on
September 11th
>> and see how it goes and then we can
always revisit for the following year.
Do we need to to clear it with our our
PA since they've put all the leg work
into these events? Um,
>> good. It's cleared. Got the thumbs up.
>> And this this actually checks one of our
boxes of uh cost reduction and trying to
figure out um yeah, how to reduce those
costs for our events.
>> Yeah. I guess I'd like to spend a little
bit of time talking about the event that
just happened Saturday night because
I've gotten I was Friday night I was not
there. I was driving to a different
concert in Oakland at the same time
where I was seeing gridlock down Sir
Francis Drake, people doing illegal
U-turns, people snaking through Marin
Art Garden looking for parking spots.
And I did not go over to the common, but
I was concerned about how many people
were congregating in our town. And so I
would love to hear um feedback um and
make sure that this is something that we
want to continue having because it
seemed like the event was not just for
our town. It was for a lot of mining
county and I'm not sure that we should
be using our town dollars. Uh I'm not
sure about our POA's goals, but I am
hesitant to use our town dollars to
entertain all of Marin County. Uh, Chief
Pa is here can make some comments about
uh
>> I I will just say Julie I was there and
it was a very wonderful event. It was
crowded but people it was Tom Petty uh a
lot of I was up at the front Tom Petty
cover band. The people dancing were all
in their 70s and 80s. This is No, I'm
just saying there was not riff raff. So
it was not it I I I share your concern.
I just want to say that. But when you
actually were at the event, the the
crowd was a lot of people and they kept
saying Marin County. So I think they're
the band is known in Marin County. So I
hear you and I would say we from my
perspective, you know, Sano does their
live on the the the summer weekends and
you know it's a it's a draw and Ross
people go to that. So I don't
necessarily say we shouldn't be doing
bigger events. I just want to make sure
they're safe and they're, you know, we
have the right staffing and the right
that people, you know, food, etc. where
we're making sure that it's it's a good
safe event. But there was there was no
riff raff and there was no no no
fighting or anything like that. I saw
>> Yeah, I would too. Yeah, I was I was
there too. It was so much fun. It was
really great. I was not dancing up in
the front. I want you to know that. Um,
my only concern was uh enough security.
Um, I was over at the RPOA table and uh
a woman came up to us with a lost child.
was about maybe three or four
years old. And uh we asked if she had
gone up to the the band to see if they
would make an announcement and she said
she had gone up to the stage and the
band said, "We can't we can't we can't
deal with that right now. We're in the
middle of a of a set." So, uh, Marcia
and I and several other people went
looking for police because we figured if
we had somebody in authority, they would
go up to the stage and say, "We have a
lost child." Um, we did find one of our
local policemen, which was wonderful,
and he took care of it. Um, and the
child, they went up to the stage and the
child found the parent. But I, it makes
me worried when we have that larger
group, you're going to have things like
that happen. And so I would want to make
sure that we had really good security. I
mean I think we had it was people got
along well. There was no fights. It was
great. It was a lot of people. Um but I
think if we do this in the future, not
only and I we don't have enough staff.
Uh we'd h So you'd have to actually pay
for additional security. Somebody would
have to pay for it. Um and also the
cleanup afterwards. With a big event
like that, it's more work and I don't
think we can ask the town to to take
care of that, especially if it involves
more than just the Ross community.
>> Those are my thoughts.
>> Well, sort of back to Julie's point. Um
well, first for the whole for this
agenda item, I think we're really lucky
that RPOA and the other groups in town
um have been able to put on events like
this because they've been hugely
successful. They've really brought the
community together. So, I'm totally uh
supportive of of the town do, you know,
contributing money, what they're asking
for this year for events. But then for a
specific event, I you know, I I was
there also and it it was really crowded
and the parking was a mess and traffic
was a mess and it felt like it was a
countywide event and so to me it seemed
less of a of a local event where you see
your friends because you could barely
find your friends because there were so
many people. And so I think that going
forward we'd have to decide how widely
should these events be advertised. If
they are widely advertised and they
become countywide events, then indeed we
need way more help and support and
security. But I'm not sure if we want
that. I I kind of liked the I liked it
better when it was smaller and and
mostly Ross because it was it was like
the Ross community and of course, you
know, friends and neighbors, but but it
wasn't, you know, a big draw from the
whole county. So I think we will have to
discuss you know how do we what do we
want these events to be and how do we
make that happen.
>> Yeah. I think uh this was sort of a
one-time aberration. What what happened
was the band sent out an announcement to
their mailing list which was a
countywide mailing list. So you got a
lot of the bands groupies coming to the deal. So, uh, going forward,
we're going to contractually require the
BN to not send out to their mailing
lists so we can control the It was a
little bit of a surprise. So, I don't
think this will happen in the future. I
don't think we'll have this type of
crowd. That's not our intention. We'll
dial it back and uh and keep it more
Ross centric. Although, I did have some
friends from San Selma who came over and
really enjoyed it specifically. So they said it was a great event. So
>> I saw a couple of postings on Next Door
about it too. So maybe we should stop
posting. There's enough publicity
internal to Ross I think
>> that we don't need to post on social
media.
>> Yeah,
>> that's great. Thank you.
>> Okay.
» All right. I'm going to be the bad guy.
Well, not totally the bad guy. Um I'm a
drummer. I like music. Um, but I think
you've reached a capacity uh limit. Uh,
I think we saw it really clearly at this
last event. Uh, we had huge problems
with traffic. We wrote a lot of parking
tickets. We had a lot of uh illegal
driving going on, people trying to find
parking spots. We had people from, you
know, our own like restaurants and
downtown stuff couldn't park. Um,
a lot of folks parking in the
neighborhoods and walking in. So the
things that that you guys don't see and
that the people that are attending the
event don't see is the huge amount of
planning that has to happen uh on our
side to make this work. So each event
that we do like this, not just um live
on the common but all these events um
you know gone are the days where we can
just kind of wing it. So I have a
contingency plan that I've put in place
for all of these events. There's a
document that I prepare. I send it to
the fire department, our neighborhood
agencies, and so that if worst case
scenario A, B, or C happens, we have
some heads up on that. It's very
important, and I don't think we can I
don't think you can get away anymore
with not having these plans. Um, I've
leveraged a lot of my relationships over
the last 5 years to get police chiefs in
this county to donate police officers to
our town to uh come into town. And a lot
of that is just was the cost of me
buying them dinner. Um, and I I do that,
but I think those days are kind of going
away, especially when you have the
possible
um the probability of having to interact
with somebody and then, you know, we all
have bosses and our bosses all have
lawyers and they're not super excited
about um accepting liability in perhaps
another town. This is not something that
we could do a you know a mutual aid
request on those this is a planned event
not an unplanned event. So um
so we've been fortunate in the sense
that we've had some uh you know with the
by allowing us to over staff over hire
we have an extra body but I've got to
move a lot of people around for this.
It's not a huge amount of work, but I am
taking officers off of their set
schedules and their families and the
things that they do on their own time.
I'm having to move a lot of parts around
so that we can provide adequate security
for these events. Um, and these are the
events that bad things do happen at um
especially in small towns. So, I guess
my suggestion to to you is that uh you consider that this is going to cost
some money in overtime moving forward
because um I don't think we're going to
have the same I've noticed in the last
couple of years that uh the the help I
was getting for free is kind of starting
to to to go away because they have their
own events that they have to deal with.
When you think about a San Ando event,
they also have the Central Marine
Police. It's three times the size of our
police department, so they have more
capacity. So, um, and all it takes is
one little boy who goes missing and now
all of your staff is working on trying
to find mom and dad. Uh, so, you know,
on a regular day, you have one police
officer, maybe two police officers
working in this town. So, um, we still
need an officer to respond to those
things in in our community on top of the
live on the common events. But you also
have Branson that has games. Sometimes
you have events happening at Marin Art
and Garden Center. So we don't know what
we don't know. And so sometimes your
community, the population jumps up
almost twice the size, but we still have
the staffing for the original population
that we have to deal with. So those are
all things I'd like you to consider. You
know, when you guys are talking about
these um this I'm not sure in that
budget if that accounts for police
overtime. No one's asked me about that,
so I'm guessing it doesn't, but that's
going to be a consideration for you
moving forward.
And I think that's my two cents, but I'm
happy to for any questions you may have.
>> Um, thank you, Chief. So, um, part of
the u working with our our um partners
is so Marin Sanitary picks up our
garbage. Well, they weren't doing it for
free on the initial on the first couple
years I was here. and I convinced them
to um do a corporate um sponsorship. We
were having to pay for it there. And
that's contingent upon us doing a good
job of um of um you know of sorting
through recyclables and they don't want
to have a bunch of contamination.
They've already given indicated to us
that they're they're not happy with the
level of our performance at that event
of doing our s sorting. and they've
already told me that there was so much
trash and recycling, contaminated
recycling that was produced last Friday
that they're thinking of not doing not
doing it. And so that'll be a big chunk
because that's not in our budget.
That'll have to be our POA is going to
have to pay for it. Um we do do a and so
I'm very happy to see to hear Mr. Kobick
say that that's not their intention and
that was just a one-time thing. But one
of our uh every time that there is an
event, this is the town's property, um
the applicant, in this case, RPOA, has
to apply for a special event permit. And
in that permit, we have conditions. And
so if we see, we're going to put a
little more time into figuring out what
kind of band is playing because if we
had if it had really registered to our
staff that band and what level of
following it was, if you know, we would
have put a condition in there requiring
extra garbage cans, requiring more
cleanup because they're supposed to
return the Ross Common to the town in
the in the level of of which they
received it and that's that's not
happening. Our public works staff are
one person whom we don't have them on
the weekend. So, they're coming in on
Monday and there's still a lot of trash
and they have to spend a lot of time um
picking up after that. So, we also have
to sign the chief and I as a
representative the property owner have
to sign a ABC license for this event.
And I'm think the chief, he didn't
mention is that in order to if if if the
events are at this level, he's going to
have to require in that um in that ABC
license that they provide security just
so that they can get an alcohol permit.
Is that correct, Chief?
>> Yeah. Yes. And another thing to add on
um just because I didn't think about it
sooner, private security is good, but
private security is about 25% of your
security because the minute something
happens, they have to call us because
we're the ones that have to we're the
ones that have the authority to do
things. So private security is good for
finding lost people and maybe telling
somebody not to park someplace, but at
the end of the day, they're going to be
calling us. So, um so yeah, there that's
just another consideration.
So, I'm hearing support from the council
for um to fund RPOA's request of $25,500
for the purposes listed here. Is that is
that correct? Okay. And then I and it's
I and since Jeff um Kobick is here and you know, RPOA is a you know, a
board and a group of a lot of
hardworking individuals, but I I I'm
hoping that Mr. Koba can carry that the
council's message back to the planners
of the group about the kind of uh the
level the size of the events that the
because it's your property. It's not
just your money here, right? It's like
what do you want to authorize to happen
on your property? And what I'm hearing
is that you'd like to have you know kind
of downscale the events. Is that is that
correct?
>> Yeah, that's correct for me.
>> Yeah. What I would say is look, this
was, like you said, an aberration. I
think nobody knew this was going to be
as popular as it was. All of us who
showed up were surprised. So, I actually
think that the town did an excellent job
and they had tons of kid volunteers at
the end of the night picking up trash.
Like I I mean given that nobody was
prepared for the amount of people that
came, the fact is nobody was injured.
Nothing bad happened. The trash was
picked up. There were some issues, but
they were relatively minor to the scale
of the event. So what I'm saying is we
don't know. We we don't we obviously all
want a more cozier event, but I think
what this opened our eyes to is the
event could get bigger and we just need
to be prepared for that. And I I think
that RPO I mean RPOA is not trying to
bring in you know Britney Spears here or
whatever like Taylor Swift like it's not
that's not their intention to make this
huge blowout event. It just happened to
happen. They will scale back the
marketing and I think it will probably
return to normal levels. Let's also
remember the event starts at 5:00 to
8:00. Like this these times of like
before we all start putting alarm bells
like it's so early in the day you're not
going to be able I mean people actually
work. There are people that work a job
that doesn't end at five. So, I'm never
anticipating that it's going to probably
happen to this level again, but we
should be prepared. And my part and what
I said earlier was I just think that the
town taking a little bit more ownership
of these events might be helpful because
putting it all on this volunteer
organization is a risk because that
that's really a lot they they for them
to do as volunteers and it's something
that we should think about. What? These
are very popular events for this town.
If you if you guys said we're canceling
them all, good luck to you. You're g
really upset a lot of Ross residents.
So, we just need to manage it better.
And how do we do that better? And my
view is the town should try to take more
ownership because this volunteer
organization, it's a lot to put on them.
>> You know, I I kind of disagree, Matt.
I'm not sure the town should be playing
a role in this. I I mean RPA has done a
wonderful job and then the town has come
into support where they can. Um and it
seems to me that works pretty well. I
don't I don't really see the town to be
in the business of putting on, you know,
big events like this. I you know, we did
do the Fourth of July. We used to do the
town dinner. I this is a really great
big event, but I I feel like RPO has
done a wonderful job and I I'm not sure would the town would agree
to take on more and right now as long as
it's not too huge, RPO has done a great
job.
Yeah, I would agree with you, uh,
Elizabeth. And I also I mean, I look at
where our town commitment is, and it's
mostly events, but it's also the the
holiday decorations and lights, and I
just want to say the Ross Property
Owners Association does a great job. I
feel really proud when I drive into town
and it's lit up like a Christmas tree.
It's just beautiful. Um, and I think
that the work that you put into the um,
events is a lot of work. And I think
that the hound benefits from it. So, um,
yeah,
we have consensus.
>> Yes. Yes. Thank you. Thanks very much.
>> Great. Thank you, Jeff. Please tell RPOA
thank you for everything that it's doing a great job.
So, should we move to we need any next
steps or wrap up? You've already done
that.
>> Um, no. We we'll just we'll bring back
your um appropriations, all the the the
specific things that you do at your June
11th meeting and um the packet will go
out um before it like usual. So, thank
you for your your work on the budget.
>> Great. So, we're gonna
>> just have two more agenda items.
>> Number number eight, the um the award of
construction contra contract for the
Shady Lane safe routes to school project
to Majora and Galotti in the amount of
217.
» Yes, thank you, mayor and council. Um
yeah, Majority and Galati like to do
they they come with the 217 or whatever
and then they they double it up. Anyway,
so uh wanted to bring this um item to
the administrative agenda, kind of give
you a chance if you have any questions
about the bidding process or or you know
how this all comes about and give you
the opportunity to talk about it. really
briefly. Um we did have uh the project
consists of um removing the old pathway
that's uh remaining um after the first
two phases that we did in the past few
years between Southwood and Fernhill.
We're going to redo that pathway. Um and
then we're going to do a micro seal on
the entire length of Shady Lane,
restripe it, and then put in the the
bicycle
um share the lane, share the road
symbols all the way um up and down the
either way the the north south lanes.
And uh we estimated the project to be
193,000. And the bid came in at 21727
which is um it's about 12% higher than
our estimate probably contributed the uh
price current price of oil probably
contributed to that uh additional cost
um because that's a primary component of
asphalt slurries.
So, um we're also requesting um
that uh the town manager enter into a
contract majority and gelati for that
bid price. We also request a $20,000 u
ministerial contingency
uh to be used in case of unforeseen
changes should they arise.
And um we do have a $100,000 measure AA
safe pathways grant that we can use um
on this project which is extremely
helpful. You know, we've been talking
about getting this project going I think
for a couple years and we're finally
going to get it done. Um majority and
Gelotti said they're ready to go as soon
as we get them a contract and we'll get
this project moving ahead. So, um,
staff recommends that, uh, town council
award the construction contract for this
Shady Lane Safe Routts to school project
and authorize the town manager entered
into a construction contract with major
Gelat in the amount of 217,217
and authorize an approximate 10%
ministerial contingency of up to $20,000
for potential change orders to address
unforeseen conditions. And that
concludes my report.
>> Great. Any questions? Elizabeth,
>> I have a question. The um the first
phase of this redid the um the
pedestrian path between um Loganas and
up to I guess what around Fern around
Southwood. Um, and so the there's black
top there, but on both sides of the
black top, there's this really ugly kind
of gray, rocky, grally stuff that I
thought was going to just kind of vanish
into the dirt, but it's still there and
it's really ugly. Is there a way to make
the pathway aesthetically prettier?
Well, um that is our uh pathway policy
that was adopted by council um just
before I got here. I think 2016 where we
uh put in asphalt and then we put in the
uh class 2AB kind of to keep things from
unraveling under the asphalt and then
the eventually the sides of the asphalt
will start collapsing again. So, it's um
I'm going to stick to the policy until
maybe we can bring you bring back the
policy and you want to take that option
out or discuss it more. It's part of the
currently part of the bid. Um so, it's
going to go in this time. Um I like it.
I I like the additional support it
brings to especially when you're going
along the ditch along Shady Lane. Um but
uh you know we're not g I'm not going to
I don't recommend changing at this time
but we can certainly discuss uh the
changing of our pathway um construction
policy in the future.
>> Okay. Thank you.
>> Any other questions? Public comment.
Anybody online?
>> No one online.
>> Okay. Um bring it back for further
discussion or a motion.
I guess we need to read it in full. So,
we recommend I recommend that uh we
award the construction contract for the
Shady Lane Safe Roofs to school project
and authorize the town manager to enter
into construction contract with M Leora
and Galotti Inc. in the amount of
217,211
217 and authorize an appropriate 10%
ministerial contingency of up to $20,000
for potential change orders to address
unforeseen conditions.
» Second.
» Mayor McMillan.
>> Yes.
>> Mayor Prom Robbins.
>> Yes.
>> Council member Kercher. Yes.
>> Council member Dling.
>> Yes.
>> Council member Salter.
>> Yes.
>> Thank you.
>> Item number nine, town council to
provide direction to the town manager on
the planning of a governance workshop
for the town council, town attorney, and
town management staff. Christa. Great.
Thank you, mayor. Um this item was um
requested by council and I received uh
two proposals and spoke with the
consultants uh first and then they sent
me their proposals. They are attached to
the staff report. These two firms, um,
MRG and, um, Jacob Green Associates,
both do these types of, um, workshops
with councils all over the state of
California. Um, both of the consultant
teams have worked in Marin County with
Marin County cities in particular, and
they they have very similar um,
scopes of work. um they would meet
individually with uh each council member
beforehand and as they put together both
of the workshops are um just half-day
workshops and then they also provide um
uh like a follow-up report um to to me
and the council um and they would they
would develop norms and um all the
information is here. Um, one of them is
more expensive.
So, the one from
MRG is um
the one from Jacob Green is $18,000 plus
expenses. And they do
most of them, I think, live in Southern
California. So, I think maybe their
travel uh I'm assuming their travel
expenses might be a little bit more. and
MRG's proposal is 14,500 with expenses
and I think most of their team lives in
Northern California, but they're the
exact the facilitator they would use is
actually a current a former mayor and a
current council member in Southern
California, I think in Rondono Beach or
one of those Manhattan Beach, one of
those cities. So, theirs is a little bit
less.
That's all I have questions.
» Yes.
>> Um Kristen, did you were either of these
used? I think you mentioned you did some
sort of training like this as a town
manager.
>> I'm just wondering if you used them in
the past or knew these.
>> Um no, I've I've I know some of their
consultants um and but I haven't been to
one of their training. My first city
manager position, it was actually the
whole year was COVID, so they didn't do
anything. Um but I do know that they so
Jacob Green worked with the city of San
Rafale. MRG has done work with other
cities. In fact, one of their
consultants used to work for the city of
Nevada. One of their consultants used to
be the city manager of um Sonoma. So um
their current business manager was the
former assistant city manager in Nevada.
So they're very well known both these
firms and they do this work and they
also do other um consulting and
executive coaching and strategic. A lot
of them do strategic planning, strategic
planning workshops. A lot of them they
another side of their work is they'll
facilitate um uh conversations with the
council on um the the city manager and
the city attorney performance
evaluations. They'll sometimes uh
councils want somebody to come in from
the outside. So they they both have very
good reput reputations.
And just one other question on um the
logistics of if we did this and went
forward, how do you do it with the Brown
Act and the public meeting? Does it have
to be recorded? Like just curious how
that works?
>> Yeah. Yeah. You're whenever you get
together, you have it this would be a a
meeting that's open to the public. You
know, sometimes um uh councils choose to
do it um in a in a in another location
that's a little bit more um but it needs
to be open. So, you know, if you didn't
want to do it here, you could do it. We
could try to book a room over, but it
doesn't have to be zoomed. It doesn't
have to be televised, but it does need
to be open to the public. Um, I did
speak with Ben Stock about it because,
you know, he he does work with several
other city councils and they the cities
that he works for, Benicia, Foster City,
um, they've done they do this
frequently. They usually always include
the town attorney and that's why I I
have him down um there and he says
they're very worthwhile. Um this one
definitely is targeted towards
governance if you wanted to do and more
of a half day. If you wanted to do
something that was more of a full day or
multi-day that would be and more
strategic planning that kind of thing if
you know that would be more expensive.
And they would work with us on um
timing. So, we'd have to pull the
council, find out what your availability
is. That's why it's I did put it um I
did put some money in the budget for
this purpose just in case you all wanted
to do it. And um so then it would need
to be after July 1, but I figure you all
be busy um for a while anyways. It would
take a little while to put it on the
books.
>> Okay. Any um public comment?
>> Do you have a question, Elizabeth? So
does Bill.
>> You have a question. Go ahead, Bill.
>> Uh Chris, I wonder if you have any u
feedback from other managers who you
interact with. Did they have their
councils undergone this? Did they
consider it useful or on the contrary a
waste of time?
>> Um everyone I've spoken to considers it
to be useful. Um it's considered a best
practice. So I was able to attend just
half day of the the annual city managers
conference this year and they actually
one of I was there half a day and one of
the sessions was was on this topic and
um everybody thought it was a good use
of time and it allows you know a lot of
it is part a component of it is team
building team building for the council
um I mean you can decide if you want to
include um you oftentimes uh management
staff is included our department head
team um would be con would be included
usually. Um but it's a good it's a it's
a good team building exercise. I I
haven't heard any uh negatives about it
except the money.
>> Elizabeth,
>> well I have some comments. Are we ready
for comments?
>> Let's let's any public comment on this?
>> No one online.
>> Okay. Now, Elizabeth, yes.
>> Okay. Um
I'm not really wild about these sorts of
events. I I mean I've been through
several in my 28 years of school board
and town council and I've always felt
that the problems that are there never
get solved in these events which cost a
lot of money and take a lot of time. But
I feel like I'm probably in the minority
and that the group wants to go ahead. So
if that's the case, I would make a
couple of suggestions. Um I think a half
a day is more than enough. I think if we
can't figure out what how to work
together and what our issues are in a
half a day, we're not going to get it in
a whole day. We'll just be tired. We'll
spend more money and I don't think we'll
get anywhere. So, I would strongly
suggest a half a day. I think um I saw
that some of these companies work with
town manager, lawyer, and counsel. I
don't know that we need to to have Ben
come for a half a day, but I think for
those of us, you know, the town manager
and the five of us, we work together as
a group all the time. I think that would
be really helpful to have that be the
group that's at the um at the event at
the meeting. Um and then my other my
last suggestion is, you know, we're
spending money. It doesn't always look
good to spend money, especially when
we're needing money for other projects
and we're going out to the voters. Um if
we do this, we're spending money for
this group, which will be gone in just a
matter of months. And I would suggest
that we do this come December when
there's a new group. And it may be very
helpful to have um sort of an
orientation and a working uh you know a
working session together with the new
group and not just the last waning days
of this group. I think that looks like
we're not spending our money very
wisely. So those are my suggestions.
» Other thoughts?
>> I' I've also gone to a lot of these too
through commission meetings and so forth
and I find you usually get something out
of it. Um, and I usually have found it
beneficial. So, I think it's a good
We've talked about this now for about a
year doing this. So, it may be time. Uh,
whether it's I mean, I suspect we could
wait until December, there's a new group
or a different group or the same group.
Um, but we're talking about doing this
within this year, this next fiscal year.
Ben,
>> just this is actually another question
that uh occurred to me based on what
Elizabeth just just mentioned. Is is is
it is there a value in having Ben there?
Um I mean what what would Ben add to
this if he were participating because we
need to pay Ben for his time?
Um,
yes, it would be a cost, right? You'd
pay his hourly rate times how many hours
you want him here. Um, but he often
times will comment on, you know, because
part I mean this is governance. So, it's
council manager form of government,
>> what's what's allowed, what's not
allowed and and any local um policies.
So for example, he you have your council
adopted um policies already for your for
governance and they can talk about that.
Um they can talk about um he can talk
about consequences. So you know when you
you're when you're if the council has
questions this group they might these
consultants might be they are
knowledgeable but they're not they're
not attorneys.
And so a lot of times councils will
council members will ask legal questions
and it allows you to have the answer
right away instead because otherwise
it's going to be me going okay. Yeah,
I'll follow up on that and get back to
you. So, I think that if it's if it's a
half day, so if you do it if you do it
8:30 to noon or 9 to noon,
yeah, you're going to pay $1,000 for
him, but it's probably time well spent
to get it done and know the answer to
the questions. And
that's my feedback there for you. I can
ask him, sure, if you'd like.
>> No, that's okay. I just wondered u for
our purposes now. Thank you.
>> I would als I I think it's a good idea.
I think you know the I think the we have
been through a lot of turmoil and stress
and conflict and I'm hoping that you
know going forward it won't be as
stressful and full of conflict but I
think we can always work together better
and enhance our working relationship and
to the extent a third party can help us
do that that's great. I one of the
things that I want to be sure that they
do is take a careful look at our
procedures manual and make sure that we
have adequate remedies for when when we
need them. And I'm not sure we have
remedies in there at all. Um and and
there may be other areas in the
procedures manual that need to be
revised based on their experience and
Ben may have thoughts on on that as
well.
So, and then in terms of timing, you
know, I I I don't have a preference for
when we do it,
but I think it should be done in the
next fiscal year. I think it's really
important and yeah, it's it's spending
money, but we have spent so much money
on other things. Um this is more of an
investment in good governance and
working together
and you know having frankly having the
council have a better look with the
public which I think is something that
we all want.
» I have a
>> Yep. So I fully support this. This is
something I've asked for for a long
time. I agree with the timing that maybe
we should just wait till the back half
of the fiscal year depending on what
happens in the election. that seems
prudent if people aren't running for
election or who knows what's going to
happen. So, I I totally support that
waiting no problem because we've waited
this long. But just for um posterity, I
think this should be just like the
orientation that we we all went to and
we spent the money to go to Sacramento
and Terry and I know we both got a lot
out of that. This should be as you know
every two years or whatever the election
cycle is there's a little retreat for
the council to understand how we work
together because the hardest thing for
me coming in was this Brown Act not
being able I came from RPOA right to
here and RPOA we could just talk to each
other all the time and it trust me there
was always like some disagreements or
should we spend money on this but we
could actually just like talk a lot and
here we're so restricted and everyone's
so the Brown Act restricts us so much
that was a big change and I feel like
it's very hard to smooth over things
sometimes because of the Brown Act or
you you're curious like one of the
things I learned too like who should I
talk to about this issue because I can
only talk to one person and what if they
disagree with me well then I've wasted
my person right no but you guys know all
that the three of you sort of learned
these these things but we you know we
had to learn as we went and I'm I'm very
fortunate that I'm sure Terry is that
she got closer to you Julie and I not
closer to Elizabeth. You both have been
on the council a long time, but it's
just a big learning process. So, I feel
like in coordination with the seating of
a new, you know, term, there should be
like, hey, go to Sacramento and then
we're going to do some governance and
team building among the council on rules
of the road and how do we smooth out
things or what's appropriate, what's
not, um, how to run a better effective
meeting. I mean, just things that you
guys who've been on a long time know.
So, I I think we should do it and and
it's it's money well spent. We should
have been we should have done it when we
first got seated, unfortunately. So,
let's give this gift to future councils.
>> Okay.
Do you have any comments or direction
about which proposal you like best?
» I would say get some recommendations. I
mean, honestly,
>> well, they were recommended, which is
>> No, I mean, from your I mean, I I would
give it to the discretion.
>> Yeah.
>> You mean I'll probably go I think
they're both good, so I'd probably go
with the cheaper one.
>> Unless you all have any any direction,
I'm happy to accept it.
>> That sounds good.
>> And I think uh next year makes more
sense. Not December. If somebody's just
elected, we won't even know they were
elected
>> necessarily in early December and then
it's the holidays. give the new the new
if there are new council members a
chance to settle in and then in
conjunction with the training and so
forth that would be a good time.
>> Okay.
I think I think we can adjourn.
>> Oh, wait. Sorry. One more item. Sorry,
Julie. That I we Is this I noticed there
was some discussion on email. I think we
should just make sure we're all okay
with the respectful dialogue
on the agenda.
>> It's It's on your next agenda. Oh, it
is. Okay.
>> So, next week you'll it's you'll have an
item. Mayor Portm Robbins asked for
that.
>> Okay. Because it was printed on the
agenda, so I I thought we were going to
talk about it.
>> It's been on like three or four agendas
already.
>> Yeah.
>> But no, it'll it'll be on your um it'll
it's an agenda item on your next agenda,
which I need to go work on.
>> Okay.
>> The packet
>> at 12:15. That was very efficient.
>> Yeah. Thank you, council and staff.
Thank you. Thank you for all the hard
work on the budget and the CIP, we know
this is a lot. I know Elena left, but
>> it's a lot.
>> I'll let her know. Thank you.
>> And we know with obviously transitioning
from Fort like this is a ton of work.
So, thank you
>> for everybody honestly. All
>> and also thank you for putting this some
of the CIP items ahead, you know, a
month or two ahead. I think that makes
this meeting much more efficient. This
meeting in the past has dragged on for
hours and hours into the afternoon and
no one was very um effective and I
thought this was very efficient today.
>> Good. I'm glad. So we'll plan it
similarly next year. That's good feed.