Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Planning Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission adopts Planning Department balanced budget amid staff cuts and JLMC concessions
Summary
The Planning Commission approved the department's FY2010'FY2011 balanced budget, accepting a JLMC package of furloughs and wage reductions intended to reduce layoffs; the commission endorsed staff requests to seek historic-preservation fund support and to prioritize critical permit work.
The Planning Commission on Feb. 18 voted unanimously to forward the Planning Department's balanced FY2010'FY2011 budget to the Mayor's Office. Director John Grama presented a $22 million budget with a general-fund allocation of $1.5 million and described program and staffing impacts that follow difficult revenue conditions.
To reduce layoffs the department and its Joint Labor Management Committee proposed a 5.2 percent wage-reduction package (equivalent to 17 furlough days and five floating holidays), which the director said would save roughly $665,000. Even with those concessions the budget anticipates approximately six layoffs and a net staffing reduction (the department showed a drop from a budgeted 163 FTE in fiscal 2009 to ~134.5 FTE under the proposed budget).
Director Grama explained staff reallocations (including a modest increase in preservation staffing to support local district designations) and said permit-review, environmental analysis and code-enforcement would be prioritized while some long-range work (new area plans) would be deferred. The department also proposed modest fee increases tied to CPI to help support operations.
The commission supported the JLMC approach and unanimously voted to adopt the budget for submittal to the mayor, while asking staff to: pursue historic-preservation fund requests, communicate clearly about planned departmental closures due to furlough days, and continue to prioritize permit throughput.
Next steps: Planning staff will forward the adopted budget recommendations to the Mayor's Office for incorporation into the city's budget process.
