CLEARLAKE – A budgeting process that city leaders said has been both difficult and miserable led the Clearlake City Council on Tuesday to vote on a budget document that eliminated several positions and appeared to please no one.
The council voted 3-2, with Council members Roy Simons and Joyce Overton voting no, to accept the budget.
Despite taking two weeks to look at other options, City Administrator Dale Neiman returned to the council with a menu of distasteful options that differed from what he'd previously presented.
“There are no easy decisions this year,” Neiman told the council.
The cuts were necessary in order to avoid a major city deficit, said Neiman. The result is that the three major funds that account for 87 percent of the city's expenses – the general fund, development review fund and Proposition P, for the police department – will start the year with only a deficit of $47,000.
The budget document included taking over animal controls services, and cutting several positions – two code enforcement officers, a building inspector, the police department's executive secretary and a parks maintenance position. It also freezes a dispatcher and a sergeant's position, and modifies the police department's take home car policy. Those and other assorted cuts are meant to save the city $568,180.
However, a last-minute budget errata document submitted by city staff on Thursday suggested that they could save the park maintenance position – which costs the city $41,493 annually – by eliminating another part time position, getting rid of inmate supplies and a planned truck purchase, and not purchasing crack seal materials, for a total savings of $50,346. Overall, even with keeping the parks position, the city would still save $8,853.
One option the city had considered was cutting current salaries a few percentage points to avoid layoffs. However, Neiman said the employee associations were unwilling to take those cuts.
On decisions like cutting the code enforcement officers, Neiman told the council, “You've got to find a cut somewhere.”
He said city staff's goal was to maintain “the same level of effectiveness” with its services.
To do that, code enforcement functions will be shared by police and other city staff. Officers would take photos and other staffers would do the followup. Police officers also will be towing vehicles.
After buying equipment and creating a new animal control position, the city could save roughly $100,000 of the $200,000 it spends annually as part of its city's contract with Lake County Animal Care and Control.
Neiman said the city is anticipating that the state will take $1.2 million in city funds to put its own financial house in order. That includes $169,000 from property tax proceeds, leaving a $200,000 general fund decision; and $237,000 from gas tax revenues, which fund the city's Public Works Department.
Redevelopment also could face having as much as $830,000 taken from its coffers, Neiman said. He suggested the city join other cities in a lawsuit against the state over the funding raid.
Community members who spoke to the council were consistently against seeing code enforcement cut, and saddling an already slim police force with additional duties, or making them “dog catchers.”
Estella Creel criticized Neiman because she believed he hadn't seen the budget crisis coming. He countered that he had, and that's why he had worked to adjust salary and cost of living increase levels with the city's employee union.
Jim Scholz defended Neiman, saying the city had a $1.2 million deficit when Neiman joined the city in January of 2007.
“He knocked out $900,000 of deficit the first year he was here,” said Scholz. “I think the man's done a terrific job.”
Scholz suggested the city needed to take on some debt and keep the code enforcement officers or at least offer them half-time work until the economy improved.
Returning to the microphone, Creel, reminded the council of the case of Dosha, a dog who, several years ago, was shot by a Clearlake Police officer, with her body placed in a freezer. She later was found alive and well. It brought the city considerable notoriety, she pointed out.
“You're not going to see any real savings by turning police officers into dog catchers,” she said. “The city of Lakeport tried it and they failed.”
Rick Mayo said he was concerned about the level of public safety. Citing figures offered by Neiman, Mayo said having one police officer for 950 citizens “doesn't cut it,” and is setting the city up for litigation.
He suggested it will take up to $2 million for the city to set up animal control services.
Jim Honegger said the city needed to lean on the unions for greater concessions in order to save money and avoid layoffs.
During council discussion, Overton said she couldn't figure out how the city's police force will handle its additional obligations under the new budget.
Police Chief Allan McClain said he'll bring a proposal to the council at its next meeting that will explain how he'll reorganize his department to deal with the code enforcement and animal control duties. He said officers won't be responsible for animal control.
“None of us want to be in this position,” said Vice Mayor Judy Thein.
With the city out of options, Thein said the budget before her was presenting her with one of the hardest decisions she's made on the council.
She said she's worked with the people slated for layoff. “I have not taken this lightly.”
Councilman Curt Giambruno asked McClain how extensive animal control would be – and whether housing and euthanization would be included. McClain said they would have an agreement with the county, that would max out at $75,000, to house additional animals and do euthanasia.
McClain noted he ran animal control services while sheriff of Kings County. “I don't want it,” he said, noting that he knows the about the associated headaches.
Neiman said when he was city manager of Fortuna they built a shelter facility for $55,000. He added, however, that if the city does take over animal control, “It's not going to be easy,” and he also preferred not to do it.
“This is a very tough decision for me personally to make,” said Giambruno. “The fact is, we have to pass this budget. We can't just let it dangle out there.”
When it came time to move the proposed budget, the council sat silent. Finally, Mayor Chuck Leonard moved the document, with Giambruno giving a reluctant second before the council voting 3-2.
Neiman suggested they continue the budget hearing to the next council meeting, at which time they'll amend and adopt a new fee schedule accounting for animal control fees.
Only three of the positions – the two code enforcement officers and the police secretary – currently are filled. Neiman later told Lake County News that the new animal control position and a vacant office assistant job will be offered first to those employees facing layoff.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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