In addition to asking the panel eight preset questions, and taking questions from the audience, we also asked the audience a key question and had them submit the answers to be posted on the Vanguard today.
“How can the public better participate in the budget process?”
Names are posted where provided, otherwise people were free to be anonymous. We had about 35 people at the meeting all told, it appears only a small faction of them submitted comments.
Walt Bunter:
Ask Neighborhood Associations in the city to hold workshops that include a city council person. Feedback would go to all city council persons and city manager and Budget and Finance Commission.
Anonymous:
Survey the community for priorities to cut/ to save – use survey monkey. Staff community/ neighborhood meetings; list of questions/ priorities.
Elaine Roberts Musser:
1. City staff needs to impart information in a clear and understandable fashion to facilitate better understanding of the issues
2. City Staff/ City Council needs to believe public input/ ideas are important, worth considering, rather than setting a course and asking commissions to rubber stamp a done deal.
3. News media needs to do more unbiased news coverage on local issues to inform public.
4. Public must become more engaged in the political process and become educated on issues.
Anonymous:
* Take on more personal and neighborhood responsibility to reduce costs
* Communicate real needs rather than desires to the decision makers where reductions can be made or resources can be shifted for better result.
Anonymous:
I would love to see a one-page breakdown of the top 50 expenses of the city. Another page could be the top 50 (or so) income (revenue) sources. Perhaps residents could write in what they think it should be.
A: Have city departments put detailed info on website. Put all non-private info on website not just info it feels the public should have, i.e. default to public. Perhaps have City-of-Davis wiki for discussion and debate of issues. More city round tables. Why were no councilmembers here tonight? Also, webcast all commission meetings.
Vanguard note: Councilmember Lamar Heystek attended the meeting
C. Hinshaw:
“Neighborhood” Townhall meetings, i.e. bring this same format to the various neighborhoods
PS if you discover how to get more participation – please let me know. I belong to other groups who have low turnouts for events. Granted they aren’t important as this meeting – but this also seems to be a universal problem.
Anonymous:
Become educated! Know the facts and know the BS. Don’t be led astray by the BS. Educate yourself! Knowledge!
Anonymous:
Schedule civic responsibility time into their lives
Mike Hart:
Create a Yahoo Group called “The people of Davis” and poll them using free polls to see where they wish to spend/ save.
Actually pay attention to what happens and not re-elect councilmembers who cave into the public employee lobbies.
Anonymous:
The Public has to want to participate. They have to allocate the time to understand the issues and get involved.
The public needs to clearly understand the consequences resulting from the process.
How does the process effect citizens? People respond to consequences. Hold elected official accountable.
One of the reasons for asking this question of the attendees was start a dialogue and perhaps some of that dialogue can continue here on the Vanguard.
—David M. Greenwald reporting
David, these Principles and Objectives were passed by all Councilmembers and read into the record at Council meeting Tuesday night. Stephen
City Council Guiding Principles and Objectives for
Negotiations Related to Employee Compensation
City Council Goal: Fiscal Stability
2008-2010 City Council Objective:
Negotiate in good faith in order to reach agreement on long-term labor contracts that provide for a competitive compensation to assist in the recruitment and retention of a well-qualified workforce, while providing an increased degree of stability/certainty relative to city personnel costs.
Overall Compensation and Benefits
•Review overall compensation package to ensure fiscal stability and sustainability.
•Expand market labor surveys to include full range of compensation and benefits, and explore comparisons with broader range of public agency employers.
•Avoid contract language that binds the City to decisions made by other agencies.
•Explore differential compensation packages for future employees.
Health Benefits
•Effectively manage escalating health benefit costs while maintaining comprehensive, affordable health care coverage for all employees.
•Examine the City’s cafeteria health plan cash-out provision, with the goal of reducing costs while still providing appropriate opt-out incentives for employees with alternative health insurance coverage.
Retirement Benefits
•Consider implementing approach whereby City employees contribute to the cost of their retirement benefits.
•Explore City employees sharing in the contribution rate risk inherent in a defined benefit retirement plan.
Retiree Medical Benefits
•Strive to reduce the long term liability of retiree medical costs, while retaining progressive elements of the City’s retiree medical insurance benefit.
•Consider implementing a vesting period for eligibility of retirement medical benefits.
Other
•Explore current contract language related to overtime in relation to applicable State and Federal Law.
•Recognize that flexibility may be necessary on the details of the overall compensation package provided that guiding principles are achieved within budgetary constraints.
•Make guiding principles and objectives available to the public and city employees.
I attended for a little while and I enjoyed the meeting. I hope that you hold more town hall meetings. Someone needs to open the lines of communication in Davis.
The first town hall meeting was a good start. We need more of them. I would like to see City Council members up in the front answering the tough questions, as well as city staff. It might be worth having DHS Social Studies teachers give credit to students for attending town hall meetings, and extra credit for asking questions/making comments. Same with UCD students in Political Science courses.
I would also encourage elementary/junior high/senior high school teachers to introduce the concept of local governance and the importance of civic participation in the classroom. Perhaps a town hall meeting could be held as a DHS assembly!
It might be interesting to change the format somewhat, and allow for more audience participation. That can be dangerous, if someone tends to hog the microphone, but there are ways to control anyone who takes too long to get their point across.
have negotiations be public
set a standard whereby the city’s comparison is the private sector not other public agencies
ask the public to rank order the major and minor budget items so if funds are limited the buget will reflect what the public wants
poll the public for forced choices such as fewer pools but more police or 3 person compaines and more police or….
Ms. Musser: 3 or more CC members cannot attend a non-posted public meeting at one time and discuss public issues.
Is that Don Saylor sitting next to DPD? lol
Mike: When the city had their “official” townhall meetings they noticed it and mentioned every topic they could think of to avoid a brown act problem.
Bayareadad: That’s Johannes Troost.
“Ms. Musser: 3 or more CC members cannot attend a non-posted public meeting at one time and discuss public issues.”
So post it!