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Finance_Committee

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MINUTES OF NOV. 14, 2001 FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING
Held at Youth Guidance Center Conference Rm. 375 Woodside Ave San Francisco, Ca 94127

The Minutes of this meeting set forth all actions taken by the Commission on the matters stated, but not necessarily the chronological sequence in which the matters were taken up.

1. (ACTION) Roll Call
The meeting was called to order by the Chair, at 8:40am Comms. Grossman, Hale, and Ricci were all present at the gavel. The Chief, Ed Lopatin, Mark Lui, Nicole Shaw-Owens represented the Dept. Bruce Fisher, Huckleberry Youth Services was present.
2. (ACTION) Review and approval of Finance Committee meeting minutes of August 23, 2001.
The minutes were approved as written. Comm. Grossman abstained, not being at that meeting.
Public comments: None
3. (DISCUSSION) Budget and fiscal challenges facing the department and the City as a whole.
The discussion on items #3 through #6 were done as a whole so no comments will appear under each separate heading.
The Chief gave the presentation to Ed to carry out, but first pointed out that the City’s expected deficit for this fiscal year is currently $100 million and expected to be $150 million next year. A handout of materials relating to the presentation was passed out. He said that while the Dept has to reduce spending, they are not going to lose positions or reduce services.
Ed reported that in their talks with the Mayor’s office, there has been an accepted budget reduction plan, but no guarantees that there won’t be additional cuts required later, depending on the changing situation in the City overall. He said that the city’s current anticipated budget deficit is $100 million because they started out the year with about a $150 million surplus. Without that surplus, it would surely have been more.
He said that the Dept was taking a "pro active" stance in this deficit situation by asking Depts to reduce their spending now, so that next year they may not start off with such a large deficit.
Lopatin said that maybe 5 years ago, the Budget Director (of the Dept) didn’t really collaborate with other staff in developing the budget, and division directors were not hands on and didn’t really know what their budgets were about. Now the Dept gets a wider number of people involved in the budget so they can understand what it is about, be able to explain it, and make the best decisions on what should be in it.
The more the Dept is "on top of" how it is spending and controlling it, the more likely the Mayor’s will give consideration to what the Dept asks for.
He referred to the handouts. Item #4 is a timeline for the upcoming FY budget planning activities.
Points made, in no particular order:
The Dept has already absorbed a COLA for this year (costing about $400K), and will be asked to absorb it again next year.
Chief Williams said that the Dept asked the Mayor to allow them to charge those depts utilizing space here to pay a portion of the utilities costs. It wasn’t allowed this fiscal year, but will again be raised for next yr.
Work Ordered funds to other depts will now be tracked more closely to see how they are spending it and if they are spending it all. Eg. for this year, the Dept of Public Health was getting $65K for less than $65K worth of services, so there will be more control exercised over payments in the future.
Comm. Grossman asked if these controls had ever been used before. Answer: no. Now they will be asking for quarterly reports on how the work ordered funds are used, and only when satisfactorily supplied will the Dept release the funds.
Comm. Ricci asked if deadlines are given for such reports. Lopatin said that it is difficult to. Comm. Ricci said that it would be good to have such a schedule/deadline in writing so others know what to expect.
Mark Lui said that since July 1, other depts have to submit invoice for payment rather than getting the funds upfront. So, until such reports are approved, funds are not released now.
In the next budget process, the final submission to the Mayor’s office is Feb. 28, 2002. Till then, the Commission can advocate for it to the Mayor’s office.
The assignments for the development of the Dept budget will be named and given to the Committee.
Comm. Hale asked if the budget could be dealt with a portion at a time. He said the Commission should address the budget on the policy level.
Lopatin pointed out a chart showing the spending rate for the Dept has reduced significantly (much of it due to reduced OT).
The Dept will only have to reduce its budget by about half a million rather than the million initially feared.
Comm. Hale asked why certain figures reflected a 1/3rd of the year outlay, while others were less. Essentially, some expense totals reflect actual outputs, and other categories have receivables that are not costed into the totals.
Some work ordered amounts are still outstanding as of 3-4 yrs (unused). This will be factored into the reduction plan.
There will be no computers in the budget for POs this year or next.
Comm. Ricci asked about the telephone project for LCR. Lopatin explained that the original estimate of $65K is now reduced, so we can do the same for less.
Comm. Grossman asked about the $70K for computers for POs. Lopatin said that the original projection for costs for computers was more than double this amount. Now we don’t even have the half. This is the 3rd yr they have been proposed. Comm. Grossman felt that this was an essential element for the POs to do their jobs. Comm. Ricci asked how many computers this was supposed to buy. Answer: about 20. She asked for a list of specifications for the computers they were planning to buy. She asked Lopatin to give Don the specs.
Question: is there another way outside the ’regular’ vendor to get these computers, if they could get it at a better price? Answer: there are ways. Also, donations could be accepted.
Public comments
Bruce Fisher, Director of Huckleberry Youth Services, Chair of the Human Services Network, spoke about the critical status of everyone, city and non profit, in the new fiscal landscape, and encouraged a greater dialog between the two sides, to try to come up with creative ways of continuing to exist and serve. Currently there are contracts totaling $375 million dollars between the City and CBOs.
Comm. Hale asked how he thought CBOs could be brought to the table in greater cooperation. Fisher described a few examples being done by other depts. He said a dialog and explanation of the changing situation would be useful so CBOs could better plan their own operations.
Comm. Grossman said that the CBOs organizing and being able to advocate in a concerted way, not haphazardly, would be great. She expressed her appreciation of the CBOs’ work.
Fisher said that the future survival of services may depend on greater public/private partnerships. Eg. CARC may return to the Dept, with continued support from Huckleberry. These budget issues will have to be dealt with (they are not now part of the mix).
4. (DISCUSSION) Status of department’s proposed budget reduction plan for Fiscal Year 2001-2002
Public comments
5. (DISCUSSION) Expenditures for Fiscal Year 2001-2002, to date
Public comments
6. (DISCUSSION) Budget schedule and assignments for Fiscal Year 2002-2003
Public comments
7. (DISCUSSION) Dept’s procurement process for supplies and equipment.
Comm. Grossman commented that they had asked for an explanation of the process that was followed to buy supplies (especially the personal hygiene items, in light of the complaints by LCR residents).
Nicole S-Owens said that there was an issue with security, and that it they had to run it through a test, it has to be approved by the Director based on what is practiced in other (off mike, not heard).
The Chief said he will be meeting with the student council each time he goes to LCR.
Comm. Ricci asked Lopatin to describe the process. Answer: it is a complex system of guidelines with respect to contract management and purchasing supplies, there are numerous city guidelines that they have to live with in selecting vendors. They are limited to vendors that can be used and types of supplies that can be bought. All staff have to master the city’s financial management information system; including the Addpick system, which is the city’s purchasing system. All transactions are reviewed by a variety of officials in the Controller’s office and Mayor’s, Purchasing Dept, DHR. Many of the contracts have to be approved by various depts at various levels. Nicole, purchasing manager, doing support in contracts management. Another vacant position will be filled in the spring, (Sr Management Asst) will support in that area. The largest commodity bought is food.
S-Owens said they attend food shows regularly to find out what others are doing.
Comm. Grossman asked if they do cost comparisons when they go looking for things. Answer: they are restricted by HRC requirement (eg. 12B compliance matters).
Comm. Ricci asked don’t they normally send out a request for bids for whatever products they wanted, and then compare the responses for the best deal? Answer: yes, but if there’s a citywide contract, then they are forced to use that.
Public comments
There was none.
Comm. Ricci asked to put the NCCD contract on the next Committee agenda.
8. (DISCUSSION) Public Comment on any matter within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Juvenile Probation Commission.
The Chief revisited what he had requested of the Committee/Commission. 1) identify opportunities in the budget process for advocacy by the Committee/Commission, and to discuss the strategy to approach that. 2) look for alternative revenues 3) include in future finance briefings, briefing on pending legislation.
Comm. Grossman asked for a concise summary/synopsis of the budget issues that need advocating for, including all the possible questions that might be addressed to the Commission, and the answer to them.
Comm. Ricci agreed. Ed will produce a two-page summary.
9. (ACTION) Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 10:47 am.

Minutes adopted January 14, 2002

Meeting Information

Finance_Committee