Top issues on this week’s public meeting agendas include more budget workshops and proposed layoffs in Westminster.
With budget season kicking into gear, the county Board of Supervisors and several city councils will be holding budget workshops this week.
The workshops are an opportunity for the public to hear what new priorities their city leaders may be placing on spending and for council members to tell city staff what changes they’d like made. As part of public meeting rules, cities are required to open the discussion to comments from the public during a designated time.
In addition to county supervisors, city leaders in Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Rancho Santa Margarita and Los Alamitos are set to hold budget workshops this week.
And in Westminster, budget woes have led city leaders to consider approving layoffs of 29 full-time and 38 part-time city employees, representing more than 10 percent of full-time and 25 percent of part-time staff. The move, up for a decision on Wednesday, is expected to save the city $3.2 million per year.
Several management employees will also increase their pension payments to the full 8 or 9 percent and reduce some compensation, saving the city $209,000 per year.
Even with these cuts, the city says, it still faces a $3 million deficit for next year’s budget.
Here’s a sample of items on this week’s agendas:
Orange County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, May 22, at 9:30 a.m.
- Approving a recommended budget for fiscal year 2012-13 and scheduling a public hearing for June 12 and 13.
- Distributing $4.2 million to community health clinics from the nationwide Tobacco Litigation Master Settlement Agreement of 1998 ($206 billion over 25 years).
- Awarding $25-million contract to Shimmick Construction for the Haster Retarding Basin, Pump Station and Recreational Field project.
- Approving a $500,000 one-year contract to Xerox Corp. for leasing three digital printers.
Closed Session
- Existing lawsuit: Stueve Bros. Farms LLC v. Orange County Flood Control District, et al.
- Employee evaluation of County Executive Officer Tom Mauk.
- Appointment of a performance audit director.
- Labor negotiations with Association of County Law Enforcement Management; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; Alliance of Orange County Workers; International Union of Operating Engineers; Orange County Attorneys Association; Orange County Employees Association; and Orange County Managers Association.
Westminster City Council, Wednesday, May 23, at 7 p.m.
- Approval of layoffs for 29 full-time and 38 part-time city employees, representing more than 10 percent of full-time and 25 percent of part-time staff. Several management employees will also increase their pension payments to the full 8 or 9 percent and reduce some compensation, saving the city $209,000 per year.
Closed Session
- Anticipated litigation: two unspecified cases.
Santa Ana City Council, Monday, May 21, at 6 p.m.
- Purchase of $45,000 in awards, trophies and plaques for one year.
- Adoption of city ordinance banning registered sex offenders from children’s facilities.
- Workshop on the budget for fiscal year 2012-13, with opportunity for public comment.
Closed Session
- Anticipated litigation: two unspecified cases.
- Labor negotiations with Santa Ana Police Management Association.
- Appointment of city manager.
Costa Mesa City Council Special Study Session, Thursday, May 24.
- Workshop on proposed fiscal year 2012-13 budget, with opportunity for public comment.
Newport Beach City Council Study Session, Tuesday, May 22, at 4 p.m.
- Workshop on proposed infrastructure budget for fiscal year 2012-13, with opportunity for public comment.
Newport Beach City Council, Tuesday, May 22, at 7 p.m.
- Increasing firefighters’ employee share of pension costs to 8 or 9 percent of pay for the next two years. New hires would receive pension benefits based on a 2 percent of pay model rather than the current 3 percent. Estimated to save the city $325,000 over the next two years.
- Appointing members of the charter update committee.
- Workshop on proposed budget for fiscal year 2012-13, with opportunity for public comment.
- Increasing cost of Banning Ranch project environmental impact report by $256,000 to a total of $2.5 million, to be paid to BonTerra Consulting and reimbursed by the project’s developer.
Closed Session
- Existing lawsuit: Paul Matheis v. City of Newport Beach.
- Labor negotiations with all labor associations.
Rancho Santa Margarita City Council Study Session,, Wednesday, May 23 at 5:30 p.m.
- Workshop on proposed budget for fiscal year 2012-13, with opportunity for public comment.
Rancho Santa Margarita City Council, Wednesday, May 23, at 7 p.m.
- Appointment of Jennifer M. Cervantez as city manager.
Closed Session
- Appointment of city manager.
- Labor negotiations regarding city manager.
Los Alamitos City Council Special Meeting, Monday, May 21, at 5 p.m.
- Workshop on proposed budget for fiscal year 2012-13, with opportunity for public comment.
Closed Session
- Unspecified anticipated litigation.
- Initiation of litigation: one unspecified case.
Laguna Hills City Council, Tuesday, May 22, at 7 p.m.
- Repealing city ordinance that prohibits the City Council from removing the city manager from office within six months of a general election.