Your City Council — Live!

9:00 p.m. The meeting is adjourned.

8:55 p.m. In the City Council announcements, Delgado stated that he attended a meeting with the Waste Management Authority concerning the push to ban plastic bags. The California Supreme Court is expected to make a decision in the coming months. It will cost Hercules more than $70,000 to implement a plastic bag ban, Delgado said.

DeVera asked that people not forget all the employees who have been laid off and "are suffering right now."

DeVera also requested that the newly elected council members be sworn in during the special meeting on June 21 at 6 p.m., preceding the budget workshop.

Ward wanted to say thank you to all the city staff. "There are less people to do the same amount of work and it's just been real difficult," said Ward. "I wanted to be sure and say thank you."

8:40 p.m. There will be a special budget meeting on June 21 at 6 p.m.

8:35 p.m. The proposed 2011-12 budget reduces the general fund deficit from $5.1 million to $1.5 million. Staff says that the goal is to try and get it under $1 million. 

"I know we all wanted to get it to zero but it's not for lack of trying, I can assure you," said Finance Director Liz Warmerdam.

The city will still be working at a negative rate of around $2 million for the 2011-12 fiscal year, with expenditures topping revenues. Warmerdam added that she is hoping for negotiations for voluntary layoffs in the police department.

8:30 p.m. Sewer fund revenues are expected to total $16,111,218 in 2010-11, but drop to just over $5 million in the proposed 2011-12 budget.

Sewer fund expenditures are expected to stay relatively stable, with $3.3 million projected for 2010-11 and $3.9 million proposed for 2011-12.

Hercules Municipal Utility (HMU) Revenues are expected to drop from $16.8 million in 2010-11 to just $3.2 million in the proposed 2011-12 budget.

HMU expenditures are expected to total $3.4 million in 2010-11 and $3.2 million in the proposed 2011-12 budget. 

8:20 p.m. Total non-housing Redevelopment Agency revenues are projected to be $8,772,430 in 2011-12, down from a projected year-end revenue of $12,752,142 in 2010-11. Total expenditures in 2010-11 are projected to be $19,253,599. The proposed expenditures for the 2011-12 budget are listed as $10,602,597.

Housing revenues are expected to total $3,132,939 for the 2010-11 fiscal year. An estimated revenue of $3,024,899 is proposed for the 2011-12 budget.

Housing-related redevelopment expenditures are projected to total $3,393,965 in 2010-11. The 2011-12 budget proposal includes $2,253,805 in expenditures.

8:10 p.m. Costs for the City Council decreased from the proposed budget of 2010-11 of $520,045 to a year-end estimate of $454,172 due to the elimination of community events.

The Parks and Recreation Department started the year with a $1.3 million budget gap, which has now been reduced down to $75,000. 

Costs for "risk management" are expected to increase because the city does not have outside insurance to pay unemployment claims for the employees that have been laid off, and therefore will have to pay the costs themselves. The city is self-insured, Warmerdam explained. 

"So, when you save money, you also have to spend money," Warmerdam told the council. "You have to think about that."

7:55 p.m. A presentation concerning the 2011-12 budget process was provided. Budget staff stated they have been working hard to work through a $5.7 million gap in the general fund. 

Total revenue is estimated to be $12,979,807 in 2010-11. This number is down from the number adopted in the 2010-11 budget, which was estimated at $24,364,804.  The proposed budget for 2011-12 includes $12,350,496 in revenue.

7:48 p.m. The council approved a request from the Parks and Recreation Department to solicit competitive proposals for before and after-school programs at the three elementary schools in Hercules.

Councilman Donald Kuehne requested that any proposals include information such as what the fixed costs for the city would be, including facilities and utilities and whether or not those would be paid by the providers. 

Vice Mayor Myrna DeVera added that proposals should include what safety plans a provider has for the children and whether or not they will consider hiring the city's current staff so that there is a continuation of the service.

7:40 p.m. The council asked for clarification on a few of the consent items and then approved them unanimously. Item 4 pertains to equipment and furniture, including outdated computers and servers that are in need of disposal. The property may be auctioned to the public. The council also discussed approving an Ad Hoc Committee to assist in the selection of a firm to provide legal services to the city. The committee will be selected in the next session.

7:35 p.m. Newly elected City Council members Dan Romero and William Wilkins are present at the meeting. Gerard Boulanger is not present.

7:07 p.m. Public comments not relating to agenda items included:

- The official introduction of the new Miss Hercules. Domonique Jones is a Hercules High School student with a GPA of 4.3.

- Newly elected City Council candidate Dan Romero calling for Charles Long to be re-instated as city manager. Long was . 

- Bill Kelly's wife reading aloud his letter to the council concerning Sycamore North. The letter is .

- An announcement by a representative from the non-profit agency Opportunity West that the number of homeless students in Hercules has been increasing over the last few years due to economic strains. There are apparently 900 homeless students in West Contra Costa County, with 133 in Hercules schools.

- Margie Liberty expressing her disappointment that there has been no official city mention that today is Flag Day. "I would like to see the things that we hold most dear honored," said Liberty.

7:01 p.m. The Hercules City Council meeting is called to order.

Mayor Joanne Ward reports that the following items were approved in closed session:

- Item 6: the council approved the sale of 710 Windsor Court for $86,000.

- Item 7: the council approved sale 402 Lighthouse Court for $95,000.