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2025-06-17 Special CC SACIC Minutes MINUTES OF THE JOINT MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT COMMISSION (SACIC) TUESDAY- -JUNE 17, 2025- -6:59 P.M. Mayor/Chair Ezzy Ashcraft convened the meeting at 7:12 p.m. Councilmember/Commissioner Daysog led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL - Present: Councilmembers/Commissioners Boller, Daysog, Jensen, Pryor and Mayor/Chair Ezzy Ashcraft— 5. Absent: None. CONSENT CALENDAR The City Clerk announced the public hearing and called for public comment. There was no public comment, so the hearing was closed. Vice Mayor/Commissioner Pryor moved approval of the Consent Calendar. Councilmember/Commissioner Boller seconded the motion, which carried by unanimous voice vote - 5. [Items so enacted or adopted are indicated by an asterisk preceding the paragraph number.] (*25-341 CC/25-09 SACIC) Minutes of the Special Joint City Council and SACIC Meeting Held on May 20, 2025. Approved. (*25-342 CC) Public Hearing to Establish the Proposition 4 (Appropriations) Limit for Fiscal Year 2025-26; and (*25-342 A CC) Resolution No. 16281, "Establishing Appropriations Limit for Fiscal Year 2025- 26." Adopted. AGENDA ITEM (25-343 CC) Resolution No. 16282, "Approving and Adopting the Operating and Capital Budget for Fiscal Years (FYs) 2025-26 and 2026-27." Adopted; (25-10 SACIC) Resolution No. 25-23, "Approving and Adopting the Budget for FYs 2025-26 and 2026-27." Adopted; and (25-343 A CC) Resolution No. 16283, "Approving Workforce Changes and Amending the Management and Confidential Employees Association Salary Schedule and Amending the Alameda City Employees Association Salary Schedule in Fiscal Years 2025-26 and 2026-27, Effective July 1, 2025." Adopted. The Finance Director and Public Works Director gave a Power Point presentation. In response to Mayor/Chair Ezzy Ashcraft's inquiry, the City Manager stated the Estuary adaptation project near the Tube is not the project that the City is expecting to fund with the Special Joint Meeting Alameda City Council and Successor Agency to the Community Improvement Commission June 17,2025 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant. Councilmember/Commissioner Daysog inquired whether it is correct to say that by capping the number of sworn officer positions to 72, it is really a reduction of 16 sworn officer positions from 88 88 positions historically. The Finance Director responded in the affirmative; stated staff recommended capping the budget authority at 70, which was increased to 72; there are still 88 authorized positions; staff recommends not removing the authorized positions and will keep looking to see if more funds are available. The City Manager added the City has not been able to fully fund all 88 positions for many years; a salary savings accrues every year; the savings have been used to purchase things like a Fire engine or have been reappropriated; the recommendation is to slow hiring after 72 and count on the savings to help balance the budget. Councilmember/Commissioner Daysog stated that he does not second-guess the decisions made by staff or Council, but his position is that the City should continue with the authority for the Police Chief to go up to 88 and not close off the chance with a reduction of the budgeted authority. Mayor/Chair Ezzy Ashcraft stated every city in the State is dealing with budget deficits; Alameda has a great public safety workforce and wants to be able to continue to pay the public safety officers salaries and give them raises and other considerations; statistics show Alameda's crime rate has gone down; the Police Chief and Officers are data driven and employ needed resources; more is being done in an automated fashion; the Department is working smarter and doing more with less; she will not get hung up on any particular number; the City attracts good people and wants to retain them; she is grateful City staff, under the leadership of the City Manager, work so well together. Councilmember/Commissioner Jensen stated the Police Department has increased by about 3 to 5% over the last two and a half years that she has been on the Council; not all positions have been able to be filled; inquired about the consequences to other programs and services if the budget has a large number of positions that are potentially not going to be filled. The City Manager responded if the City were to fully fund all 88 positions and not count on the salary savings, staff would have to look at service cuts. Councilmember/Commissioner Daysog stated the issue is not on the revenue side; the issue is that the Police Department is being used to create savings to pay for other things; there should be more effort to hire Police Officers; five other positions outside of the Police Department are positive, whereas the Department is negative 16; the Chief is doing a great job but the City is stretching the limited resources thin and locking into that scenario. Mayor/Chair Ezzy Ashcraft stated that she does not agree with the characterization that the Police Department is being used to achieve savings; the public is not clamoring for more Information Technology professionals; a lot of what the City does is unseen to the general Special Joint Meeting Alameda City Council and Successor Agency to the Community Improvement Commission 2 June 17,2025 public; Councilmembers approve policy; she does not want to second-guess what the City Manager, Human Resources Director, and other department heads believe are their needs. Councilmember/Commissioner Boller stated Councilmembers, staff and the City Manager made Public Safety a top priority in the budget workshops; retention has been an issue; there is a strong consensus to get to 88 down the line; there were not trade-offs; the Police are doing more with less, using resources and new technologies; people are concerned about crime and are involved; groups of citizens in different parts of the community are doing their part; portions of the City's budget are preventative, including proactive crime prevention, social services, and library enhancements; he is very comfortable with the City's recommendations. Councilmember/Commissioner Boller moved approval of the staff recommendation [adoption of the resolutions]. Vice Mayor/Commissioner Pryor seconded the motion. Under discussion, Councilmember/Commissioner Jensen inquired about improvements to the O'Club at Alameda Point. The Public Works Director responded over the last five years, the City has invested about $750,000 into the facility, including the roof, replacing windows, bathroom renovations, new carpet, interior and exterior paint, and some new appliances in the kitchen; stated the kitchen is mostly decommissioned and can only be used for staging and warming; there has also been extensive landscaping; some Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and electrical work scheduled in the current 2023-25 capital budget still needs to be executed and funds are already appropriated. In response to Councilmember/Commissioner Jensen's inquiry regarding any other outstanding issues, the City Manager stated there were allegations of rodents and uncleanliness of the kitchen. The Public Works Director stated the City received some complaints about rodents about a year ago; her department acted swiftly to seal off any penetrations on the building and set traps; there have not been any observations of rodents now; when complaints are received, staff acts quickly in regards to kitchen cleanliness; Public Works has an internal service fund; the building Facilities Master Plan deals with basic repair and replacement, not large scale renovations or user feasibility analysis on reimagining the building, which would really benefit from a master planning process involving stakeholder input and looking at adaptive reuse; a lot of potential in the building is untapped; the matter is not contemplated in the facilities plan and would really warrant a master planning process. In response to Councilmember/Commissioner Jensen's inquiry, the Recreation and Parks Director stated the focus should be on what the O'Club can become; it is a large facility; some portions are not open to the public; everything would need to be evaluated, including parking, the entrance location, and the building orientation; a long term feasibility study would help; taking on a feasibility study would take some time. Mayor/Chair Ezzy Ashcraft stated although future iterations and master plans for the O'Club would be lovely, she is concerned about basic level of cleanliness of the kitchens, bathrooms, Special Joint Meeting Alameda City Council and Successor Agency 3 to the Community Improvement Commission June 17,2025 and the public space; inquired whether there is a process in place for checking the property before the public enters. The Recreation and Parks Director responded in the affirmative; stated the Department has a process in place, which occurred when notifications were received regarding the rodent issue; he instituted deep cleaning with the City's vendor and has staff complete spot checks to make sure everything is taken care of everywhere in the facility; staff members are also present at every event; there is a Tuesday open night for anyone who wants to come and rent the facility; he worked directly with the Citywide vendor, Imperial, to increase service levels; everything has been addressed and Imperial is held accountable. In response to Mayor/Chair Ezzy Ashcraft's inquiry regarding the Alameda Welfare Council event, the Recreation and Parks Director stated it happens at the end of August or early September; extra special effort will ensure everything is perfect for them, just as is done with all of renters. On the call for the question, the motion carried by the following voice vote ayes: Councilmembers Boller, Jensen, Pryor and Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft — 4. Noes: Councilmember Daysog — 1. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, Mayor/Chair Ezzy Ashcraft adjourned the meeting at 7:48 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Lara Weisiger, City Clerk Secretary, SACIC The agenda for this meeting was posted in accordance with the Sunshine Ordinance. Special Joint Meeting Alameda City Council and Successor Agency to the Community Improvement Commission 4 June 17,2025