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Planning staff say fee increase and staff cuts are the likely choices to close $1.47M shortfall; preservation work at risk
Summary
Planning Department staff told a joint Planning Commission and Historic Preservation Commission hearing Jan. 28 they reduced an initial $4.46 million shortfall to about $1.47 million but still need policy direction on fee increases, furloughs or layoffs to balance FY2010–11. Preservation advocates urged completing neighborhood surveys and warned proposed reallocation could slow district designations.
Planning Department staff presented a draft FY2010–11 budget to a joint meeting of the Planning Commission and the Historic Preservation Commission on Jan. 28 in San Francisco, saying an initial $4.46 million deficit has been reduced to about $1.47 million but that closing the remainder will require either more revenue or cuts concentrated in personnel costs.
"It's now down to 1.47," Elaine Phillips, planning department staff, said as she walked commissioners through assumptions and line-item changes that improved the department's position. Phillips described a mix of revenue assumptions — a stronger second quarter, a modest 2.5% projected economic recovery, a proposed 4.65% fee increase and anticipated cost-recovery from inspections and penalties — that together account for the bulk of the improvement.
Why it matters: the department said 76% of its budget is labor cost, so with limited non-salary savings remaining the principal trade-offs to close the $1.47 million gap are additional fees or labor-related reductions that would affect the work program and the department's ability to complete surveys and designations.
Staff plan and numbered…
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