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Pleasanton council finalizes most budget cuts, leaves parks reductions for staff refinement
Summary
The Pleasanton City Council on April 10 confirmed most of staff’s revised reduction scenarios for a two‑year budget, but asked staff to return with a lower‑risk parks maintenance option through attrition and contract adjustments; council also accepted a $16.6 million CIP priority list and an unfunded project list.
The Pleasanton City Council resumed a special meeting on April 10 to finish deliberations on a two‑year budget reduction plan and to review capital priorities. After two days of staff briefings and line‑by‑line review, the council locked in the bulk of the staff recommendations but carved out further work for parks maintenance and a few other sensitive items.
Deputy City Manager Alexa Jeffress and department directors walked the council through a supplemental spreadsheet that updated earlier proposals. Staff summarized reductions aimed at reaching roughly $10.4 million in year 1 (assuming a $2 million pension‑trust contribution) and noted a remaining gap if all “maybes” were not approved.
Council members broadly approved changes that had gathered majority support during the earlier session, including revised approaches to library and recreation staffing, reductions to community subsidies on a line‑by‑line basis, modified janitorial schedules for city facilities, trimmed permit center hours and a reclassified sustainability role. On several items the council gave staff direction to refine scenarios and return with final numbers at the May 20 budget presentation.
The single largest unresolved item was parks and trail maintenance (the proposal to reduce mowing contracts, irrigation and four FTEs, which staff estimated could save roughly $1 million annually). Several council members warned that steep reductions or less frequent mowing and irrigation could risk asset loss and safety issues. Public‑works staff said reductions would change park appearance, increase weed pressure and raise the risk of long‑term damage; they proposed an alternative that would achieve some savings through attrition (eliminating vacant positions first) combined with selective contract adjustments. The council directed staff to develop and present that attrition‑first alternative so the finance team can finalize totals for the draft budget.
Other council decisions included approving revised library hours and an alternate front-desk staffing approach (a model that reduces weekly library hours and eliminates temporary positions while preserving some services), adopting reduced subsidies for select nonprofit partners while directing staff to work further with organizations such as the Museum on Main, and approving a plan to fund nine crossing guards (one per elementary school) as a baseline safety step while asking the school district to consider cost sharing.
Mayor Balch and the city manager told the public the city will return May 20 with a balanced draft budget and recommended CIP program; June 17 remains the scheduled date for final adoption. Staff will also pursue grant and partnership opportunities and will present a refined parks option to reduce risk of asset loss.
What happens next: staff will reconcile the council’s directional votes, finalize the math and present a draft balanced budget on May 20. The council asked staff to prioritize preserving core services and to seek targeted funding and grant opportunities before tapping one‑time reserves or making additional CIP reductions.
