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OKAY READY? WE GO. IF I CAN CALL US BACK TO ORDER AGAIN, WELCOME TO THE SEVENTH DAY OF BUDGET
[Call to Order]
[Roll Call]
HEARINGS. RICK BLACKWELL, CHAIR OF THE BUDGET COMMITTEE. WITH ME TODAY IS MY VICE CHAIR, KEVIN KRAMER. ALSO WITH ME, OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS, COUNCILWOMAN PARISH WRIGHT AND, COUNCILMAN PIACENTINI. COUNCILMAN HUDSON WAS HERE AND PROBABLY WILL BE RIGHT BACK. ALSO, VIRTUALLY WE HAVE. I CAN'T SEE HIM. I NEED TO JOIN. OH, I'LL SHOOT THE NEXT. OKAY SO WE LOST OUR VIRTUALS FROM THE LAST MEETING HERE, AND I'LL REMIND YOU THAT, DO WE NEED TO READ THE NOTICE AGAIN? YES, SIR. OKAY. THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO CRA 61.826 AND COUNCIL RULE FIVE, A READ IN FULL. VERY GOOD. WE'LL START TODAY WITH OUR, WITH PARKS AND RECREATIONS, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY THE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT SAYS WE KNOW WILL NOT BE MAKING MANY OPENING COMMENTS. WE'LL BEGIN IMMEDIATELY WITH QUESTIONS, WANT TO REMIND YOU AGAIN THAT THE PROPOSED THAT THE PARKS PROPOSED $43.52 MILLION OPERATING BUDGET AND $7.1 MILLION CAPITAL BUDGET, DOES NOT, ALLOW US TO MAKE COMPARISONS BETWEEN PROJECTED 25 AND 23 AND 24, BUDGETS AS WE HAVE. SO THE I'LL START WITH THE FIRST. I'LL ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE[ ID 24-0285 Parks and Recreation]
THAT COUNCILWOMAN, CHAPEL HAS JOINED US AND COUNCILMAN REED HAS JOINED US, AND COUNCILWOMAN HAWKINS HAS JOINED US. I'M NOT SURE WHO'S STILL NO ONE. VIRTUALLY OKAY, SO WHEN WE GET STARTED HERE, IF YOU CAN INTRODUCE YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD. AND, MY FIRST QUESTION FOR YOU IS ABOUT THE, CHANGES THAT THE MAYOR PROPOSED. THE BUDGET CONSIST OF 499,900 PARTIAL FUNDING FOR 27 NEW POSITIONS AND OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES TO REOPEN BAXTER COMMUNITY CENTER AND STAFF POOLS AND CAMP TAYLOR MEMORIAL PARK, THIS IS ONLY A PARTIAL FUNDING FOR THE 27 NEW POSITIONS, SO HOW MUCH WOULD WE NEED IF WE ARE MOVING INTO THE 27 WHEN WE DO MOVE INTO THE NEXT BUDGET, WHAT WILL THAT 49 $499,900 NEED TO BE FOR THE NEXT BUDGET? SO WE'RE IF WE ARE BUDGETING FOR THIS YEAR FOR ONLY A PARTIAL TOWN, AND THEN MY OTHERS IS, ARE THE OTHER ONE RELATED TO THAT ARE THE PARK RANGERS ALSO INCLUDED THAT? ARE THEY CONTRACT EMPLOYEES? ARE THEY INCLUDED IN THAT NUMBER? SO IF YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD AND THEN WE'LL START WITH THOSE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. SURE. MY NAME IS JASON CANUEL, THE DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION, THE BAXTER COMMUNITY CENTER, WERE ANTICIPATING THAT TO OPEN IN LATE FALL OF 24, WHICH IS WHY I THINK THE REQUEST WAS FOR BASICALLY HALF OF A YEAR. OKAY SO THE FULL YEAR,[00:05:05]
PROJECTION IS RIGHT ABOUT 470,000 THAT THAT'S FOR A FULL YEAR. GOTCHA AND WHAT WAS THE OTHER PART OF YOUR QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE PARK RANGERS? THE BUDGET INCLUDES MONEY FOR THE PARK RANGERS PROGRAM. AND ARE THEY ARE THEY ACTUAL EMPLOYEES? ARE THEY, CONTRACT EMPLOYEES? THEY IT'LL BE A NEW PROGRAM. OKAY, SO THIS AND I'LL HAVE, BRIDGET FRALEY, ONE OF OUR EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATORS, COME UP AND KIND OF EXPLAIN, WHERE THIS IS COMING FROM. BUT THE HARVARD BLOOMBERG PROJECT, SELF SAFE, HEALTHY PARKS, THE PARK RANGER ISSUE KIND OF CAME FROM THAT, AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A, AN ENFORCEMENT ARM OF PARKS. IT'S MORE OF, PEOPLE BEING IN THE PARKS WITH ENFORCEMENT POWER. SO THEY WOULD BE PARKS EMPLOYEES. THEY ARE EMPLOYEES.CORRECT BRIDGET, WOULD YOU WOULD YOU MIND COMING? GOOD EVENING. I'M BRIDGET FRALEY. I'M A EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATOR FOR OVER PARK SAFETY, SO THE PARK RANGER, PROGRAM WAS A POTENTIAL SOLUTION THAT CAME OUT OF THE BLOOMBERG HARVARD COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVE THAT OUR CITY IS A PART OF, THE PROBLEM TO SOLVE WAS, WAS VERY CLEAR IN REGARDS TO ILLICIT BEHAVIOR AND MISUSE OF OUR PUBLIC PARKS THAT AT TIMES RESULTING IN OUR PARKS AMENITIES BEING UNACCESSIBLE OR, UNUSABLE AND INACCESSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE OUR, IS SUPER IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT NEED THE PARKS THE MOST, ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MOST AFFECTED, BY THIS, BY OUR INABILITY TO ENSURE THAT THE PARKS ARE HEALTHY AND SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL. SO THAT IDEA, CAME OUT OF THAT. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE TOP TWO REASONS FROM THE PARKS ALLIANCE STUDY THAT PEOPLE DON'T USE PARKS IS THEIR CONCERN FOR NOT FEELING SAFE, AND THEIR CONCERNS FOR THE LACK OF SECURITY IN REGARDS TO THAT. SO THIS WOULD BE A NEW A NEW PROFESSIONALIZED AND, SPECIALIZED RESPONSE TO THAT, WHERE PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY JUST BE IN THE PARK, IF THERE WERE ISSUES, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES, AND OFFER SUPPORT TO PERSONS IN CRISIS AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE ABILITY TO ENFORCE IF THAT IS NECESSARY. I MEAN, THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO, ASSIST PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, BUILD COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS APPS, SO THAT OTHER PEOPLE IN OUR PARKS USE THE PARKS AND PEOPLE FEEL MORE SAFE, IN THOSE PARKS. SO IT'S A, IT'S A PRESENCE, IT'S, IT'S ALSO ENFORCEMENT. IF NEEDED, BUT IT IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A HEAVY HANDED, APPROACH AT ALL. AND REMIND ME HOW MANY PARK RANGERS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE A NUMBER SET YET, BECAUSE THIS WOULD BE IT. OBVIOUSLY, IT WOULD BE A NEW PROGRAM, A NEW PILOT PROGRAM, AND THEN BASED ON THE FUNDING, WE WOULD HAVE TO SEE HOW THAT WOULD, HOW MANY THAT WE, WE COULD DO, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY 2 TO 3 BASED ON THE, THE MONEY THAT'S PROPOSED WOULD BE AN ESTIMATE, BUT THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, WE COULD GET BACK WITH THE COMMITTEE IN REGARDS TO HOW THE ACTUAL HOW IT ACTUALLY PLAYS OUT. SO TO YOU'D HAVE 2 TO 3 RANGERS THAT WOULD BE IN HOW MANY OF OUR PARK, HOW MANY PARKS DO WE HAVE TOTAL. WE HAVE 100. WOULD THEY BE GOING TO WOULD THEY BE GOING TO ALL PARKS OR WE HAVE 123 PARKS? AND YES, THE GOAL WOULD BE THAT THEY WOULD, HAVE THE ABILITY AND WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS ALL OF THE PARKS, BUT THE ACTUAL NEED, AND FOCUS WOULD BE ATTENTION, THE FOCUS OF ATTENTION WOULD BE ON THOSE PARKS WHERE WE KNOW BASED ON, A LOT OF DATA POINTS, WE HAVE SEVERAL DATA POINTS, INCLUSIVE, INCLUDING PLACER.AI DATA AND OTHER DATA, THAT SHOWS, YOU KNOW, WHERE PEOPLE ARE IN THE PARKS, WHERE WE HAVE THE MAJORITY OF THE ISSUES. SO THERE WOULD BE YOU KNOW, A HEAVY PRESENCE ON THAT. BUT WE ALSO WANT THEM TO BE PRESENT AND VISIBLE IN ALL OF OUR PARKS. VERY GOOD. COUNCILWOMAN HOPKINS. THANK YOU. CHAIRMAN, THANKS FOR BEING HERE TODAY. THANKS, JASON, FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR PARKS, FOR SAY THAT, I WANT TO I WANT TO ECHO MY COLLEAGUE, JUST ABOUT, WHAT ARE THE HOURS AND WHAT ARE THE SALARIES FOR THOSE FOR THAT POSITION? THAT HAS NOT BEEN DISCUSSED YET, WE WILL EXPLORE ALL OPTIONS. BUT THIS LIKE I SAID, THIS WOULD BE A UNIQUE PROGRAM, WITH A SPECIALIZED RESPONSE. YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WHO COULD ENGAGE WITH PARK GOERS, AND BUILD THOSE COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS. THE HOURS THAT WE SEE WHERE THERE'S CURRENTLY A GAP IS, YOU KNOW, FROM 5 P.M. TO SAY, YOU KNOW, 5
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A.M. SO, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, AS A SINCE THAT IS A GAP, I THINK THE HOURS WOULD, WOULD FILL IN THOSE NEEDS. BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE DATA THAT TELLS US WHEN PEOPLE ARE PHYSICALLY IN THE PARK, WHEN THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE PARK, FOR EXAMPLE, AFTER HOURS. AND WHICH LOCATIONS THEY'RE AT. SO WE CAN WE CAN USE THAT TO DRIVE SOME DECISIONS AS WELL. SO. RIGHT. AND I DEFINITELY SUPPORT THAT. AND, WE JUST HAD, I BELIEVE IN COUNCILWOMAN SHANKLAND'S DISTRICT, A HOMICIDE IN THE PARK , AND THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO ON IN THE PARK AFTER FIVE, FIVE, AND I THINK THAT THIS WOULD ALSO, COUNCILMAN BLACKWELL, FOR THE, THE BIKES THAT ARE IN THE PARKS, IT'S JUST NOT IN THE DAYTIME. IT'S AT NIGHT, TOO. YES, MA'AM. SO I THINK WITH THAT LAYER OF PROTECTION, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, WITH WITH THOSE ROLES THAT THEY'RE COMPENSATED TWTD, BECAUSE THEIR LIVES ARE GOING TO BE ON THE LINES AND, YOU KNOW, THEY SERVE AS, IS DARN NEAR LIKE A POLICE OFFICER, AND A LOT OF OUR GANGS, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A GANG ISSUE TERRITORY WISE, HANG IN THOSE SPACES AT NIGHT. SO I THINK THAT IT IS A GREAT PROGRAM AND I SUPPORT THAT PROGRAM. THANK YOU. MA'AM. ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THAT, COUNCILMAN ARTHUR AND COUNCILWOMAN MCCRANEY, COUNCILWOMAN FOWLER AND COUNCILWOMAN PARKER ON THE COMMITTEE ARE, ATTENDING VIRTUALLY. AND COUNCILWOMAN RUBY HAS JOINED US AS WELL.COUNCILWOMAN PIAGENTINI. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, FIRST OF ALL, I'M GLAD TO SEE, MORE WORK BEING DONE. AND I'LL SPEAK FOR LONG RUN PARK. UP UNTIL RECENTLY, YOU KNOW, LONG RUN PARK, THE ONLY WORK THAT WAS DONE WAS, YOU KNOW, CIF OR NEIGHBORHOOD OR MDF FUNDED PROJECTS. SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THE ADMINISTRATION, YOU KNOW, PUTTING MONEY INTO, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE PARKS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, REALLY LITERALLY ON THE COUNTY BORDER IN MY CASE, AND I LOVE TO SEE THE IMPROVEMENTS AND THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TOWARD DEFERRED MAINTENANCE OUT THERE, PUTTING OUR BATHROOM BACK TOGETHER, FOR EXAMPLE, VERY HAPPY WITH ALL OF THAT. AND I SEE, EVEN IN THE LONG TERM PLAN, RELATED TO SOME OF YOUR PROJECTS, THERE'S ONE IN THERE FOR LONG RUN PARK. I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE PROBABLY A COUPLE OF YEARS OUT, BUT GLAD TO SEE MORE THOUGHT GOING INTO PARKS ALL OVER THE COUNTY. COMING BACK TO PROJECTS, YOU HAVE AN INCREDIBLE LIST OF PROJECTS GOING HERE. NOW SOME OF THIS STUFF IS ROUNDING ERRORS LIKE, YOU KNOW, TREE FEE IN LIEU OF THINGS LIKE THIS. RIGHT. SO I'LL COUNT FOR SOME OF THAT. BUT THERE'S A LOT OF PROJECTS GOING BACK TO 2019. I MEAN, THERE'S ONE LISTED IN HERE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A FLOOD OF 2009, THAT, THAT HAS, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY SUBSTANTIAL MONEY. I MEAN, HALF THE MONEY IN THIS BUDGET, I THINK IT'S 90 SOMETHING MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF PROJECTS, 40 SOMETHING MILLION DOLLARS, BALANCE. NOW AGAIN, THERE'S A BUNCH FROM 2024 THAT'S IN THAT BALANCE. SO THAT'S THE BULK OF IT. BUT THERE DOES DO SEEM TO BE A LOT OF PROJECTS IN HERE. WE'RE CARRYING BALANCES AND I'M NOT.
IT DOESN'T SEEM TO ME THAT ALL OF THESE PROJECTS ARE STILL ONGOING. HAVE THESE BEEN SWEPT THROUGH OR DO WE NEED TO DO A SWEEP OF THESE AND SAY, OKAY, WE NEED TO CLOSE THESE PROJECTS OUT, BRING THIS MONEY BACK? SO THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON, FOR EXAMPLE, OTHER PARKS, DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF IT RIGHT, RIGHT. SO AGAIN, YOUR EXAMPLE, THE 2009 FLOOD THAT COST CENTER SET UP IN LEAP, THE PREVIOUS FINANCIAL SYSTEM, YOU REALLY COULDN'T GET RID OF IT, SO THAT'S BEEN HANGING AROUND AND I GUESS IT TRANSFERRED FROM FROM LEAP TO WORKDAY. BUT THERE SHOULDN'T THERE SHOULD ALTHOUGH IT'S SHOWING MONEY IN THERE, THERE IS NO BUDGET IN, IN THAT PARTICULAR COST CENTER. SO IT WAS ZEROED OUT. BUT THERE'S I CAN'T EXPLAIN THE LEAP TO WORK DAY CHANGE. OKAY BUT BUT YEAH, THERE'S, THERE'S QUITE A FEW PROJECTS THAT THAT GO BACK A FEW YEARS. SOME ARE, ARE AMOUNTS OF FUNDING THAT AREN'T REALLY ENOUGH TO IMPLEMENT THE PROJECT, IT'S LIKE A PARTIAL AMOUNT. SO WE DON'T SPEND IT. IT KIND OF SITS AND WAITS UNTIL, THERE'S OTHER INTEREST OR OTHER ALLOCATIONS OR APPROPRIATIONS FOR THOSE PROJECTS. LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY. SO I GET THAT AND I GET THAT SOMETIMES WE DO THAT RIGHT. BUT THERE'S IS THE PHRASE THAT I THINK WE ALL, AS POLICYMAKERS, NEED TO EMBRACE MUCH MORE REGULARLY AS OPPORTUNITY COST. RIGHT. EVERY DOLLAR THAT'S SITTING THERE IS A DOLLAR THAT WE'RE NOT USING FOR SOMETHING ELSE. AND THAT NOT USING IT FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
LET'S SAY WE SWEPT EVERY DOLLAR IN HERE AND PUT IT ALL INTO DEFERRED MAINTENANCE OR LONG TERM COSTS RELATED TO PARKS LOOK COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. SO EACH ONE OF THOSE DOLLARS TO ME, IN MY MIND, REPRESENT I MEAN, IT'S LIKE ANYTHING, RIGHT? IF I SPEND X DOLLARS BY BUYING A NEW GRILL FOR $500, IT'S NOT THE GRILL FOR $500. IT'S IF I INVESTED THAT MONEY, THAT'S WHAT IT COSTS FROM
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20 YEARS FROM NOW. THAT'S THE OPPORTUNITY COST OF THAT SAME $500. SO LET ME SIMPLIFY MY FIRST QUESTION. ARE YOU CONFIDENT THAT THIS LIST HAS BEEN SWEPT AND THESE DOLLARS ARE EITHER STILL HOLDING BECAUSE THE PROJECT IS ACTUALLY STILL WORKING OR IT'S BEING HELD INTENTIONALLY FOR MAYBE ADDITIONAL FUNDING OR INTEREST BECAUSE IT'S PARTIAL FUNDING.ARE YOU CONFIDENT THAT THAT'S TRUE? THOSE TWO THINGS ARE TRUE. MOSTLY CONFIDENT, I'M SURE THERE'S A COUPLE COST CENTERS WITH WITH MONEY THAT OKAY, THAT WERE NOT REALLY AWARE OF WHAT IT WAS FOR. OKAY BUT BUT MOST OF THE COST CENTERS I'VE GONE THROUGH THE ENTIRE LIST AND CAN PRETTY MUCH TELL YOU THE STORY OF EACH PROJECT AND WHERE AND WHERE THAT MONEY IS, WHY WE'RE SITTING ON IT, WHY IT HASN'T BEEN SPENT. THEN CAN WE BREAK IT? SORRY, MISS DUNN, IF WE CAN.
ONE MORE QUESTION, THEN I WANT YOU TO RESPOND AS WELL. BUT CAN CAN WE BREAK THAT OUT? IN OTHER WORDS, CAN YOU MAYBE HIGHLIGHT OR IDENTIFY THESE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT ARE SO-CALLED PARTIAL FUNDED ON HOLD, RIGHT. THE ONES THAT TO YOUR POINT, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY THERE TO ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING. BUT THEY WERE SET. THEY'RE WAITING FOR SOMETHING ELSE SO THAT WE CAN DIFFERENTIATE THAT FROM ONGOING PROJECTS, BECAUSE THEN THEN WE CAN ACTUALLY TAKE A LOOK AT THEM AS POLICY MAKERS AND SAY , YEAH, LET'S KEEP HOLDING IT. OR YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN ISOLATED TIME, BUT WE COULD REALLY USE THAT MONEY OVER HERE. SO IS THERE A WAY TO BREAK THAT OUT? NOT TODAY, BUT IT'S IT WOULD TAKE SOME TIME. BUT YEAH, WE CAN GO LINE BY LINE WITH THE WITH EACH COST CENTER AND MAKE THAT DETERMINATION. YEAH, I THINK I NEED TO OKAY.
YEAH THANK YOU. SURE. IF I COULD JUST ADD SORRY. THAT'S ALL RIGHT, ANGELA DUNN, CFO. AS IT RELATES TO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS REPORT, YOU'RE PROBABLY REFERENCING THE REPORT THAT WAS SENT OUT, Q3 REPORTS. THIS WOULD BE AS OF MARCH 31ST, THOUGH ONCE THAT, THAT IS A SNAPSHOT OF PROJECTS IN TIME. SO WE DO CONTINUE. I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM THAT OMB DOES CONTINUE TO WORK THE CAPITAL PROJECTS LIST. WE ARE REACHING OUT TO AGENCIES. IT IS A LINE BY LINE PROJECT BY PROJECT EFFORT. SO IT DOES TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. THERE WAS A LOT OF DATA SCRUB THAT HAD TO HAPPEN IN THE LAST YEAR TO ENSURE THAT WE HAD DATA. GOOD CONVERTED DATA COME OVER. BUT WITH THAT, NOW THERE'S BALANCES THAT WE CAN TELL OUR OLDER BALANCES. AND SO WE ARE GOING THROUGH AND TRYING TO IDENTIFY PROJECTS THAT CAN BE CLOSED OUT, AND, TRY TO GET AN EVEN CLEANER LIST. AND THERE'S BEEN MOVEMENT EVEN SINCE THIS REPORT WAS PROVIDED. SO WE CAN CERTAINLY WORK WITH JASON TO HELP IDENTIFY , SPECIFIC PROJECTS, IT IS IT'S AN EFFORT THAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THE AGENCY. WE CAN LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND WE CAN SEE, HEY, THERE'S BEEN MOVEMENT OR THERE HASN'T BEEN MOVEMENT, BUT REALLY, THE AGENCY HAS TO TELL US IS THAT PROJECT ACTUALLY CLOSED OUT, YOU KNOW, AND DO WE HAVE A REMAINING BALANCE? SO, THAT IS AN ONGOING EFFORT. JUST SO THE COUNCIL IS AWARE OF THAT AND COMFORTABLE WITH THE FACT THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK THAT LIST AND WORK WITH THE AGENCIES. AND WE CAN CERTAINLY WORK WITH JASON ON ON A REQUEST OF POTENTIAL PROJECTS FOR PARKS THAT THAT WE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. COUNCILMAN REED. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I WANTED TO GO BACK TO THE, PARK RANGERS. I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT. SO, WOULD THESE PEOPLE BE JUST SIMPLY MONITORING WALKING AROUND DURING, SPECIFIC HOURS, OR WILL THEY HAVE POLICE POWERS? WILL THEY BE CARRYING WEAPONS AS.
NICOLE GEORGE, DEPUTY MAYOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC SERVICES, WANT TO SAY ON THE FRONT END THAT, MAYOR GREENBERG IS VERY COMMITTED TO THE IDEA OF PARK RANGERS, AS A, AS A GROUP AS PART OF OUR, BLOOMBERG HARVARD WORK, WE SEE THE VALUE AND HAVING REAL INTENTION IN THE WAY OF INCREASED SAFETY IN OUR PARKS, BUT WE ARE NOT AT THE PLACE IN TERMS OF PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT YET, OUR WORK IS ACTUALLY ONGOING AND DOES NOT WRAP UNTIL JUNE. AND SO AS PART OF THAT, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO FOLD LESSONS LEARNED FROM OUR PILOT AREAS AROUND SAFETY INTO, INTO PROGRAMING AROUND, PARKS. THE IDEA, THOUGH, IS THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS WOULD BE SWORN SO THEY WOULD HAVE ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITIES. BUT WE WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT A PARK RANGER PROGRAM SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THAT THIS LOOKS A LITTLE DIFFERENT AND HAS INTENTION, DIFFERENT NECESSARILY, THAN LMPD. OKAY. UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU , AND THE NEXT QUESTION I HAD IS ON PAGE THREE, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT, FISCAL YEAR 25 PROPOSED, THERE'S A $12 MILLION, STATE AND FEDERAL GRANT ENTRY. IS THAT A SECURED GRANT? DO WE HAVE THAT? WHAT IS IT FOR, IT IS, IT'S BEEN AWARDED, BUT WE DON'T HAVE IT YET. OKAY, BUT IT HAS BEEN AWARDED. YES I'LL ASK MASOOD TO KIND OF EXPLAIN WHAT WHAT THE GRANT IS AND WHAT IT IS FOR. THANK YOU. YEAH. GOOD EVENING, MISS REGALADO. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AT PARKS AND RECREATION, SO. SO WE ARE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF HAVING THE CONTRACT SIGNED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AFTER OUR MAYOR
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SIGNING THE CONTRACT. SO ONE MORE STEP JUST TO HAVE FULLY PERMISSION TO START SPENDING THE MONEY. SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. WHAT IS THE GRANT FOR? WHAT WERE WE AWARDED THE GRANT FOR? THIS IS, A GRANT APPLICATION THAT URBAN FORESTRY TEAM PUT TOGETHER TO PLANT TREES IN JUSTICE FOR THE AREAS, AS WELL AS MAINTAINING TREES ALONG STREETS AND THEN DEVELOPING A WORKFORCE TO, TO, TO BE PREPARED TO BE EMPLOYED BY EITHER METRO GOVERNMENT OR OUR PARTNERING AGENCIES. AND THEN, ALSO A PART OF THE GRANT APPLICATION WAS FOR , INVENTORYING STREET TREES IN JUSTICE FOR THE AREAS AND ALSO DEVELOPING A MANAGEMENT PLAN IN JUSTICE FOR THE AREAS, YOU CAN TELL IT IS ONLY FOR JUSTICE FOR THE AREA, REPRESENTING 23% OF THE ENTIRE METRO AREA. OKAY ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN PERISH. RIGHT. THANK YOU. MY FIRST QUESTION IS ABOUT THE FIVE YEAR PLAN AND THE ORDER OF WHICH THE THESE PROJECTS WILL BE DONE. I SEE THAT THERE IS FUNDING ON PAGE THREE AROUND LONG RUN PARK. IS THERE A SPECIFIC ORDER FOR THAT FIVE YEAR PLAN? AND I COULD HAVE MISSED IT, BUT. SOME PAGE THREE. WHAT DOCUMENT DO YOU HAVE? THAT WAS THE MAYOR'S LONG TERM PLAN. I DON'T HAVE IT. I DON'T THINK IT'S LISTED IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER ON THAT DOCUMENT ITSELF. OKAY. AND THEN ON THE, GOING BACK TO, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE PARK RANGERS. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, WE KNOW THAT THE PARKS ARE USED BY SO MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING OUR PEOPLE WHO ARE UNHOUSED. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WHATEVER PROGRAMING THAT'S COMING UP. AND THANK YOU, DEPUTY MAYOR, FOR SPEAKING TO THIS, THAT THERE IS EDUCATION AND TRAINING AROUND WHERE TO CONNECT OUR UNHOUSED COMMUNITY TO AS WE SEE OUR HOMELESS POPULATION CONTINUE TO GROW. A LOT OF TIMES, FOLKS USE PARKS, SO JUST MAKING SURE THAT WHATEVER YOU BUILD OUT IN PROGRAMING WISE, AND I HOPE THAT YOUR STUDY WRAPS UP AND SHOWS SHOW YOU WHAT YOU CAN DO, THAT THEY'RE CONNECTED TO THE, MORE SERVICES AND THAT THIS PARK RANGER IS MORE FOCUSED ON THE SAFETY AND KEEPING THE PARK AND NOT FURTHER CRIMINALIZING PEOPLE WHO ARE UNHOUSED. AND MY LAST PART OF THIS, I SAW WHERE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE HAS A HUGE BALANCE.AND I SEEN IN THE MAYOR'S BUDGET, IT WAS LIKE NOT EVEN 5. WHAT THAT'S NOT ENOUGH FUNDING FOR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. HOW ARE YOU PRIORITIZING IT? IS IT GOING TO BE HVAC AND ROOFING AND STUFF LIKE THAT FIRST, OR WHAT IS YOUR PLAN AROUND THAT? THE MAJORITY OF OUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE ON THE BOOKS. SO I GUESS FY 24, I THINK THERE WAS A TOTAL OF $4.9 MILLION THAT WAS ALLOCATED. AND THEN IN DECEMBER, THERE WAS ANOTHER 9.9 MILLION ALLOCATED, THAT, THAT TOTALS 90 NEW PROJECTS FOR, FOR US TO HANDLE. SO, SO WE'VE GOT OUR HANDS FULL, SO THE MAJORITY OF, OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE LIFE SAFETY ISSUES, ROOFS, HVAC SYSTEMS, THINGS THAT WE NEED TO KEEP DOORS OPEN. WE NEED TO KEEP COMMUNITY CENTERS OPEN AND KIDS IN. YEAH, SO THAT'S THE MAIN TARGET, SO, SO LIFE SAFETY ISSUES WOULD BE, I GUESS WHAT WE TARGET FIRST.
THANK YOU. OKAY COUNCILWOMAN PARKER. OKAY. MIKE'S ON, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT. THERE WAS A LINE ITEM. LAST YEAR, ALMOST 100,000 WAS SPENT IN IN BANK SERVICE FEES, COULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT? I JUST WAS CURIOUS WHY WE WERE PAYING SO MUCH IN BANK SERVICE FEES. THAT IS, 50% REIMBURSEMENT TO THE GOLF PROS PER AN AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH THE GOLF, THE GOLF PROS, IT'S LIKE CREDIT CARD FEES AND THAT SORT OF THING. WELL I WONDER, IS THERE A WAY TO GET AROUND THAT, AND OR AT LEAST CHARGE IT BACK TO THE CUSTOMER? I JUST KNOW I WENT THROUGH THE SAME THING IN MY PRIVATE BUSINESS, AND IT WAS LIKE IT WAS VERY KIND OF IRRITATING. BUT, SO
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WE GOT SOFTWARE WHERE WE COULD CHARGE IT BACK TO THE AT LEAST MOST OF IT BACK TO THE CUSTOMER.I JUST HAVEN'T SEEN THAT. AND ANY OTHER AGENCY. BUT I SEE WHERE THE GOLF PROS IS KIND OF A LITTLE DIFFERENT SITUATION, BUT SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. AND THEN, THE, THE EQUIPMENT, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR, WE'VE ALREADY SPENT DOUBLE SO FAR IN 2024 THAN WAS BUDGETED FOR 25.
IS THAT GOING TO BE ENOUGH? OR ARE YOU JUST ANTICIPATING A LOT OF ONE TIME FIXES THAT YOU'VE ALREADY DONE THAT YOU WON'T HAVE TO DO IN 25? IT WAS JUST BUDGETED AT THE SAME LEVEL AS OPPOSED TO THE TREND. SO I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY JUST A LINE ITEM MOVEMENT THAT WE MAY NEED TO MOVE SOME FUNDS, AROUND WITHIN THE BUDGET THAT THEY HAVE . AND COUNCILMAN PARKER, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT WHETHER OR NOT THE FUNDING IS THERE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET OUR EQUIPMENT BE DOWN. WE'RE GOING TO FIX THINGS. WE'RE GOING TO MOW, WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SERVICES ARE NOT INTERRUPTED. SO IF IT'S WORKING WITH OMB TO MOVE SOME MONEY AROUND IN THE BUDGET, THEN THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO. OKAY. AND THEN, SAME THING KIND OF FOR THE CONTRACTORS, YOU PAID A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY OUT TO CONTRACTORS. SO I GUESS, IS THAT THE SAME ANSWER THAT THERE WAS NOTHING BUDGETED FOR CONTRACTORS IN THIS BUDGET? YOU'LL JUST MOVE DOLLARS AROUND AGAIN. WE CAN GET SOME ADDITIONAL DETAIL TO YOU IN TERMS OF HOW THE BUDGET WAS BUILT. I'M NOT LIKE LOOKING FOR THE LINE ITEM, BUT. OKAY AND THEN ONE LAST QUICK QUESTION. THE PARK RANGERS, I THINK THAT'S, PIQUING THE CURIOSITY OF EVERYBODY, AND YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY SAID THIS, AND I APOLOGIZE, IF YOU WILL. THEY BE ON FOOT, WILL THEY BE ON BIKE? WILL THEY BE ON ATVS? AND THEN I WAS ALSO WONDERING IF THEY WOULD BE LIKE CPR TRAINED OR ANY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, BASIC LIFE SAVING SUPPORT MEASURES OR IF THEY'RE, THEY'RE MOSTLY JUST FOR SECURITY . DEPUTY MAYOR. YES. ALL GOOD QUESTIONS. AND WE CERTAINLY LOVE THE EXCITEMENT AND ENTHUSIASM. SO, JUST WANT TO SAY WE'RE, A LITTLE BIT, IT'S A LITTLE BIT PREMATURE IN THE WAY OF OUR PLANNING AROUND, SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY WOULD BE TRAVERSING A PARK, BUT MY HOPE IS WE WOULD SEE THEM IN A VARIETY OF WAYS, AND WE'RE OPEN TO FEEDBACK. AND AGAIN, WE'RE WE'RE WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH OUR, PARK PARTNERS AND, CERTAINLY METRO PARKS AND RECREATION AND LMPD ON WHAT THAT CAN LOOK LIKE. OH, MAYBE YOU CAN PUT THEM ON HORSEBACK. THAT'D BE COOL. COUNCILMAN KRAMER, THANK YOU, MY FIRST QUESTION IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE A FOLLOW UP, TO COUNCILWOMAN PARRISH.
RIGHT SHE WAS ASKING ABOUT YOUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, FUNDING LAST YEAR VERSUS THIS YEAR. AND IF I UNDERSTOOD YOUR RESPONSE CORRECTLY. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I DID THAT FIRST, I THINK I UNDERSTOOD YOU TO SAY THAT GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE PUT IN THE BUDGET LAST YEAR FOR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, YOU ALL HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO USE THAT BECAUSE YOU. IT WAS THERE'S SO MUCH DEFERRED MAINTENANCE THAT WE FUNDED THAT YOU COULDN'T GET ALL THAT DONE. AND SO ASKING FOR MORE AGAIN THIS YEAR WOULD BE MORE THAN JUST TAXING. DID THAT. AM I MISCHARACTERIZING YOUR ANSWER? NOT NOT REALLY, BUT BUT YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CAPACITY. YOU KNOW, I'M I'M, I'M MANAGING PROJECTS, AS WELL AS AS ASSUMING THE DIRECTOR ROLE, BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT I MEAN, IT'S CRITICAL THAT THAT WE GET THESE INGS DONE AND IT'S, IT WAS UNPRECEDENTED THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT YOU ALL ALLOCATED, IN DECEMBER. BUT THAT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, SO WE'RE WE'RE JUST FOUR MONTHS, I'M ALMOST SIX MONTHS NOW, SINCE WE ACTUALLY GOT TO THAT MONEY. SO WE'RE IT'S A PROCESS. WE'RE WE'VE GOT A PLAN TO SPEND EVERY PENNY OF IT, I THINK THAT FUNDING ORIGINALLY STARTED AS ARP FUNDING, AND IT SWITCHED TO GENERAL FUND, BUT WHEN IT WAS ALLOCATED AS ARP FUNDING, THE, THE, THAT FUNDING HAD TO BE ENCUMBERED BEFORE THE END OF, END OF THIS YEAR. AND WE WERE FULLY COMMITTED TO DO THAT. AND WE'VE NOT CHANGED COURSE AT ALL,
[00:30:02]
SO WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING AS QUICKLY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN WITH, WITH ALL OF THOSE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE PROJECTS. IS THERE SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU MOVE MORE QUICKLY? I IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU WERE SAYING THAT YOU KNOW, YOUR PLATE IS FULL, LIKE WE JUST YOU GAVE US THE MONEY, WE CAN'T GET IT DONE. AND SO IT SOUND LIKE. RIGHT. AND SO I'M ASKING, IS THERE SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU BE ABLE TO GET IT DONE? I MEAN, I MEAN, REALLY, RIGHT, RIGHT NOW WE'RE WE'RE STILL TWO PROJECT MANAGERS SHORT, SO THAT, THAT, THAT'S THAT THAT THAT THAT THAT'S BEEN A ROADBLOCK FOR US. RIGHT. AND THAT'S BEEN A CONVERSATION AT BUDGET MEETINGS BEFORE, AND THAT LEADS TO MY NEXT QUESTION. SO I WILL GO AHEAD AND SEGUE, I NOTICED THAT YOU GUYS ARE ACTUALLY 12% UP IN YOUR NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES. OBVIOUSLY NOT THE TWO PROJECT MANAGERS. WE'RE STILL HOPEFUL, BUT, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, 12% INCREASE IN IN THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES YOU HAVE, YOU TALKED ABOUT OUR THE TURNOVER RATE NUMBER FILLED. NO, I'M TALKING FILLED POSITIONS. YOU HAVE 12% MORE FILLED POSITIONS THIS YEAR THAN YOU HAD LAST YEAR. YEAH.WHICH MEANS YOU HIRED PEOPLE, WHICH IS WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT. BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO THAT, I THE OVER THE PAST YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF, WE'VE HAD SOME CHANGES OF LEADERSHIP, AND WE'VE HAD, SOME, SOME FOLKS THAT THAT WOULD RATHER STICK AROUND AND LEAVE, SO A LOT OF IT IS CULTURE, A CULTURE CHANGE, A PARADIGM SHIFT THAT WE'VE HAD IN OUR OWN DEPARTMENT, AND IT WHAT YOU SEE IS PAYING OFF IS THE NUMBER OF, FILLED POSITIONS CURRENTLY. NOW, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR TURNOVER RATE, IT NORMALLY IT WAS IN THE 35% RANGE. AND I THINK NOW IT'S DOWN TO AROUND 16, SO WE'RE DOING SOME REALLY GOOD THINGS, AND THOSE, THOSE TWO THINGS SHOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND, AND IT'S WORKING FOR US. OKAY. A COUPLE OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS MIGHT BE CALLING YOU, AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION, I'LL CLICK BACK IN BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE IN THE QUEUE. YOU HAVE TO KNOW IF YOU'RE GOING TO COME AND SIT HERE. I'M GOING TO ASK YOU ABOUT DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, THE MAYOR ANNOUNCED, A LIST OF NEW PROJECTS THAT HE WANTS TO DO INCLUDE 20 PROJECTS FOR PARKS AND RECREATION. IT'S A FIVE YEAR PLAN. SO I DON'T THINK THIS WAS THIS YEAR, BUT, YOU KNOW, PROJECTS ALBERTA JONES PARK, BELVEDERE, FOURTH STREET IMPROVEMENTS, CHEROKEE PARK, DUPRÉ PARK BASKETBALL, IROQUOIS. ANYWAY, I COULD GO ON. SO THIS THIS LIST OF PROJECTS OVER FIVE YEARS. INTERESTINGLY, ONLY ONE OF THEM, SHOWED UP ON OUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE LIST, SO IT'S LIKE THESE ARE ALL NEW PROJECTS. WHAT ABOUT THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE LIST? IS THERE A REASON WE'RE SKIPPING OVER THINGS THAT WE'VE HAD ON DEFERRED MAINTENANCE FOREVER IN ORDER TO DO? I SHOULDN'T SAY FOREVER, BUT FOR WHAT SEEMS LIKE FOREVER IN ORDER. NO PROJECTS. THE WHAT? I UNDERSTOOD THAT FIVE YEAR PLAN ARE MORE, AMBITIOUS, LARGER BIG PICTURE PROJECTS, DEFERRED MAINTENANCE IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE, THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE A YEAR TO YEAR ASK EVERY SINGLE YEAR. SO I THINK THAT FIVE YEAR PLAN IS MUCH, MUCH OF A LARGER, LARGER, BIG PICTURE. FUTURE FORECAST OF LARGER PROJECTS. BUT THE GOAL IS TO DO THESE FUTURE FORECAST PROJECTS IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS BEFORE WE DO THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE THAT WE ALREADY KNOW, WE HAVE $31 MILLION IN IN ADDITION TO YES. WOW. THAT'S AMBITIOUS, $31 MILLION IN DEFERRED MAINTENANCE PROJECTS ON THE BOOKS RIGHT NOW. AND IN FIVE YEARS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ALL OF THAT DEFERRED MAINTENANCE DONE. AND THESE 20 NEW PROJECTS.
YOU'RE PUTTING ME ON. OKAY. NO, I DON'T MEAN.T'S JUST. M SORRY. IT'S AMBITIOUS. IT'S AMBITIOUS. IT'S A LOT. BUT YOU GREENBERG HAS HAS HAS SAID NUMEROUS TIM HE NTS INVESTN PAS AN WE DON'T JUST. LOOK, WE'VE BEEN.OU BE A NR EA, AS HE INTENANCE CONVERSATION OVER AT I'M I'M NOT CHALLENGING OR QUESTIONING THE MAYOR'S COMMITMENT TO PARKS. IT'S YOU KNOW, WE'RE PUTTING OUT A FIVE YEAR IDEA, AND WE HAVE 31 MILLION IN DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, AND WE'RE PUTTING 1,000,005 THIS YEAR. YOU KNOW, IT'S ANYWAY, I NOTE THAT THE DEPUTY MAYOR STEPPED BACK UP, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN, I JUST WANT TO SAY, FIRST OF ALL, I ECHO YOUR CONCERN IN WANTING US TO TAKE CARE OF WHAT WE HAVE FIRST AND FOREMOST. AND I KNOW THAT SOMEG THAT'S ON THE FOREFRONT OF MAYOR GREENBERG'S MIND, I THINK THE IDEA OF THE FIVE YEAR LIST WAS REALLY JUST AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO SEE WHAT PRIORITIES ARE, AND THAT WHEN AS MONEY BECOMES AVAILABLE AND AS FUNDING IS AVAILABLE, THAT THERE IS A PRIORITY LIST, VERSUS RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, AND, I THINK EVERYONE CAN RELATE TO THIS. WE ALL HAVE GOOD IDEAS OF WHAT WE WANT TO SEE IN OUR PARKS AND WHERE DO THOSE IDEAS GO.
RIGHT. AND SO I THINK THE GOAL IS REALLY FOR US JUST TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A SET LIST OF PRIORITIES THAT, SHOULD MANY BECOME AVAILABLE. BUT HEAR ME SAY, WE CERTAINLY ARE VERY COMMITTED TO DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND WANTING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE TAKING CARE OF WHAT WE HAVE FIRST. SO COUNCILWOMAN CHAPPELL. HELLO I DON'T KNOW WHY I ACT SO SURPRISED WHEN MY NAME GETS
[00:35:03]
CALLED, JUST THANKS FOR ALL THE PARKS DEPARTMENT DOES, ESPECIALLY FOR DISTRICT 15.WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT OUR NEW SPORTS COURTS IN IROQUOIS PARK, AND ALSO REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT NEW CAM TAYLOR POOL THAT'S, A HUGE THING THAT'S GOING TO BE, FOR ALL OF LOUISVILLE, AND CONGRATS TO PAT FOR GETTING THAT COUNCILMAN MULVIHILL. I'LL GO AHEAD AND GET IT OUT OF THE WAY, YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL CHART, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU GUYS AN A WHAT, IT IS VERY GRAY. YES, YES, IT'S VERY GREAT. IT'S VERY THOROUGH, I THINK MOST EMPLOYEES ARE RECOGNIZED, ESPECIALLY ON THE BREAKDOWN. THE REASON IT WASN'T GOING TO BE AN A PLUS IS BECAUSE I WENT TO THE COLORS ON THIS CHART, MATCHED THE OTHER, THE SUPPLEMENTAL CHARTS. BUT I WILL SAY WE CAN BOOST IT UP TO AN A PLUS BECAUSE EXTRA CREDIT FOR THE AT A GLANCE ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR ANNUAL REPORT, WHICH IS LIKE THEIR THEIR MINI ORGANIZATIONAL CHART. SO IT'S REALLY FUN, ALL RIGHT. NOW TO THE QUESTIONS, LET'S SEE. I'M GOING TO ASK A QUESTION, KIND OF PIGGYBACKING OFF OF COUNCILMAN KRAMER'S, ABOUT THE YOUR WORKFORCE. AND I WILL PULL UP THAT ANNUAL REPORT THAT I JUST REFERENCED BECAUSE IT SAYS IN YOUR BUDGET BREAKDOWN THAT, FISCAL YEAR 2040 HAD 367 EMPLOYEES. HOWEVER, THE TOTAL ON HERE IS 287, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF ALMOST 100 A DIFFERENCE OF 100. AND SO I DIDN'T KNOW WHICH NUMBER WAS ACCURATE. IT'S THE SEASONALS ARE INCLUDED IN LARGER NUMBER. IS THAT RIGHT. THOSE ARE THIS IS NON SEASON. THIS NUMBER INCLUDES NON-SEASONAL EMPLOYEES. IT'S POSITIONS VERSUS FILLED POSITIONS. GOTCHA OKAY. AND I'VE ASKED THIS FROM A LOT OF A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S ON TREND. GOING BY THOSE NUMBERS THERE'S A 74 EMPLOYEE DECREASE. YET SINCE 2000, FISCAL YEAR 16, YOU'VE HAD AN INCREASE OF NEARLY $19 MILLION. AND I KEEP HEARING THAT'S JUST BECAUSE PERSONNEL COSTS ARE GOING UP. BUT I REALLY DON'T FEEL LIKE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, OUR PEOPLE GETTING PAID 100% MORE IN THOSE POSITIONS, I DON'T I'M NO MATHEMATICIAN, BUT IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM, TO BALANCE OUT AND SO HAS MORE MONEY OVER TIME. BEEN GOING TOWARD, PROJECTS. CAN YOU, CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHY YOUR EMPLOYEE NUMBERS HAVE DECREASED, YET YOUR BUDGET HAS INCREASED? I THINK A LOT OF THAT'S THE PERSONNEL COSTS WITH INSURANCE. AND, IN THE, RETIREMENT SYSTEM, ALL THOSE THINGS IN ADDI YEAR, I WOULD I WOULD GUESS THAT THAT THAT'S WHAT THAT NUMBER WOULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO. OKAY. THANK YOU. HAS AN AGREEMENT BEEN REACHED, AN MOU WITH THE PARKS ALLIANCE FOR THE JACK O LANTERN SPECTACULAR THERE. NOT YET.
WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS. I THINK WE'VE GOT A MEETING NEXT WEEK. ARE WE PLANNING TO HAVE THAT IN PLACE BEFORE THE JACK O LANTERNS? SPECTACULAR. WE'RE TRYING. HAVE WE FOUND A NEW CONCESSIONS VENDOR FOR IROQUOIS PARK? YES. HAVE WE FOUND A NEW PROMOTIONAL PARTNER FOR IROQUOIS PARK? YES OKAY, LAST YEAR, WE ASKED PARKS AND RECREATION TO CREATE A DETAILED USE AND FEE STRUCTURE FOR THE PARKS FIELDS, AND SO ANY SORT OF LEASES, PERTAINING TO THE PARKS FIELD, IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO RENT A SPACE IN OUR PARK. HAS THE PARKS DONE THAT? YEAH. THE, IT WAS, IT WAS A FEE STRUCTURE. THE WHOLE FEE STRUCTURE THERE. YES. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS. YES. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO DOUBLE CHECK AND I HAVE A FEW MORE QUESTIONS, BUT I'M GOING TO GET BACK INTO THE QUEUE. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN ARTHUR. THANK YOU. CHAIR. SO MOST OF US KNOW BY NOW THAT THE HEARTS PROGRAM IS HOSTED IN OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS, BUT IT'S ON THE VERGE OF BEING DEFUNDED BECAUSE OF THE MAYOR'S BUDGET PROPOSAL. IF IT IS, IN FACT, DEFUNDED, WOULD THE COMMUNITY CENTERS STILL HAVE ARTS PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE CITY? I KNOW THERE ARE SPECIFIC COMMUNITY CENTERS THAT HAVE ARTS PROGRAMING, BUT IF THIS PROGRAM IS DEFUNDED, WOULD WE CONTINUE TO HAVE ARTS PROGRAMS AT COMMUNITY CENTERS CITYWIDE? BEN JOHNSON, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF RECREATION, THE ANSWER IS YES, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT WOULD BE DECREASED. WE ALWAYS ARE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL PARTNERS. WE ALSO HAVE, THE METRO ARTS COMMUNITY CENTER THAT WE OPERATE. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF, PROGRAMS COMES OUT OF SUN VALLEY AS WELL AS BEECHMONT THAT ACTUALLY HAVE ART
[00:40:06]
STUDIOS THAT WE CONTROL, SOME INTERNAL STAFF, SOME WITH CONTRACTORS, SO IT WOULD HAVE AN EFFECT, BUT IT WOULD NOT TOTALLY ELIMINATE ARTS PROGRAMING. YEAH. COUNCILMAN KRAMER, THANK YOU, AGAIN, I'LL. I'LL ASK THREE AND GET OUT IN CASE OTHER FOLKS NEED TO GET IN. BUT, THERE IS A GRANT FOR YOUR FORESTRY DEPARTMENT, IS WILL A LOT OF THAT BE USED FOR, TREE CANOPY ACROSS LOUISVILLE, OR IS THAT GRANT GOING TO BE PRETTY MUCH EXCLUSIVE TO THE PARKS? THE USE OF THAT GRANT MONEY, THE $12 MILLION, THAT IS TARGETED TO ALL THE JUSTICE40 AREAS IN JEFFERSON COUNTY. SO PARKS, NOT PARKS. IT'S THE JUSTICE FOR TO AREAS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, SECOND QUESTION, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS AS MUCH OF A COMMENT IS JUST, I'M SORRY, QUESTION. IT IS A QUESTION. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT MARY T MAHER? IT SEEMS THAT IF I'M READING THIS RIGHT, THEY LOST OVER $1 MILLION LAST YEAR. IS THAT REMOTELY POSSIBLE? YES, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT GOES INTO MAINTAINING THE POOL, IS, IS QUITE LARGE. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHY THAT'S TRUE IN PRETTY MUCH ANY INDOOR NATATORIUM? IS NOT A, A PROFIT MAKER, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE CHARGE TO GET IN THE ADMISSIONS, IT'S MINIMAL, I THINK WE'RE MORE INTEREST IN GETTING THE FOLKS IN. SURE. ARE WE TALKING ABOUT LEAKS? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE COVER ON IT IS NOT SUFFICIENT. AND THE HEAT IS RIDICULOUS IN THE WINTER. I MEAN, IF I COMPARE THIS TO U OF L'S NATATORIUM, AM I GOING TO HAVE A SIMILAR YES LOSS? YES. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING A NEW NATATORIUM OURSELVES, PARKS IS NOT. NO. WELL, THERE WAS CONVERSATION HERE. WHAT I'M ASKING, I GUESS, IS, ARE YOU IS THIS JUST A REALITY WITH NATATORIUM? WE'RE JUST GOING TO LOSE IT. IS IT COST YOU $1 MILLION A YEAR? IT IS. WE'VE DONE A LITTLE RESEARCH. THERE WAS A BRAND NEW NATATORIUM THAT WAS BUILT IN SOUTH CAROLINA, NORTH CAROLINA OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SIMILAR, VERY SIMILAR OLYMPIC SIZE TO MARY T AND I THINK THEIR FIRST YEAR, THEY WOULD HAVE LOST LIKE $3 MILLION HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR A TIFF THAT WAS PASSED. SO THE INDOOR NATATORIUM IS ARE EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN, AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S PERSONNEL COSTS THAT ARE WRAPPED UP IN THERE TOO. BUT IT'S A CHALLENGE. OKAY. THANK YOU. I WAS HOPING FOR A AN ANSWER THAT INCLUDED AN EASY, QUICK FIX, SO, MY LAST QUESTION THEN IS IN TWO PARTS. I'M LOOKING AT 1.9 MILLION FOR, FOR, I'M SORRY, 1.5 MILLION FOR GENERAL REPAIRS. HAVE YOU IDENTIFIED YOUR PROJECTS? DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO USE THAT MONEY FOR, NO. THE GENERAL REPAIR MONEY THAT WE USE, THAT.THAT'S FOR THE REACTIVE THINGS THAT HAPPEN, THE BROKEN WINDOWS, THE RESTROOM THAT JUST GOT BURNED. GOOD. THANK YOU. I WAS HOPING THAT WOULD BE YOUR ANSWER. I THAT HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE. SOMETIMES WE'VE USED THAT GENERAL REPAIRS ACCOUNT TO DO. OR SOMETIMES WE USE OUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE TO DO GENERAL REPAIRS. SO YOU ACTUALLY HAVE 1.5 MILLION? YES AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING TO NEED IT. YOU JUST KNOW WE'RE GOING TO CORRECT GOOD, THE 1.9 MILLION, DO WE HAVE YOU IDENTIFIED EXACTLY WHERE WHICH PROJECTS YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND THAT 1.9 ON, WE DO. AND DID THAT LIST GET SUBMITTED? AND YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A FOLLOW UP TO COUNCILWOMAN RICE. IT'S A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT QUESTION THAN HERS, BUT I THINK I'M ASKING THE SAME. YOU'LL CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, HER QUESTION WAS MORE LIKE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AMOUNT, WHAT HAVE YOU IDENTIFIED? WHAT KINDS OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE PROJECTS YOU THINK ARE MOST IMPORTANT? MY QUESTION IS EVEN, AND I'M FINE WITH THAT ANSWER, BUT MINE IS EVEN WITHIN THAT. IF YOU SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT ROOFS ARE THE THING YOU'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON, RIGHT? THAT'S I THINK THAT WAS THE EXAMPLE YOU USED WAS ROOFS. IF ROOFS IS GOING TO BE THE WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON, HAVE YOU IDENTIFIED WHICH ROOFS ARE IN THE WORST SHAPE AND WHICH ONES YOU CAN SPEND THE MOST MONEY ON FIRST? YEAH. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS, IS SEND YOU ALL THE LIST, THE, THE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE $1.9 MILLION LIST. AND I'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE AN OVERALL LIST OF ANOTHER $30 MILLION. AND WILL THAT BE RANK ORDERED THERE? CATEGORICALLY. OKAY. AND HOW CONSISTENT IS THAT WITH THE PARKS FOR ALL APPROACH? NOT VERY MUCH. OKAY. SO FOR US, THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE IS NOT TARGETED TOWARDS ANY ONE DISTRICT. IT'S WHERE WE WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE MOST NEED. OKAY, REGARDLESS OF DISTRICT.
AND I HATE SAYING IT THAT WAY, BUT THAT, THAT THAT'S KIND OF HOW WE LOOK AT WHAT THE DEFERRED. BUT WE'LL APPRECIATE GETTING THE LIST AND WE'LL TAKE A LOOK. THANK YOU. OKAY COUNCILWOMAN CHAPPELL. SURE. I GUESS I'D LIKE TO GO BACK. I THANK COUNCILMAN ARTHUR FOR
[00:45:08]
ASKING ABOUT THE PROGRAMING COMMUNITY CENTERS. CAN, MAYBE MISTER JOHNSON SPEAK TO A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT PROGRAMING IS AFFORDED IN THIS BUDGET. SURE . SO GOOD EVENING AGAIN. SO, YEAH, ACTUALLY, ALL OF OUR PROGRAMING, WE TYPICALLY CHARGE VERY LITTLE, IF ANYTHING, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE OUR SUMMER CAMPS THAT A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS, WE CHARGE A ONE TIME $50 REGISTRATION FEE. THAT'S THE THAT'S THE ENTIRE COST. SO WE PRETTY MUCH OFFER THE PROGRAMING PRIMARILY FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AS A COMMUNITY SERVICE, WE CHARGE VERY LITTLE, EVEN FOR OUR ADULTS OR OUR SENIORS, THIS SUMMER WITH THE SUMMER CAMPS AND OPEN PROGRAM, WE ARE PROVIDING OR CHARGING AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT FOR FIELD TRIPS. BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT'S ABOVE AND BEYOND. AGAIN, A $50 REGISTRATION FEE FOR OUR EIGHT WEEK PROGRAM. THE BULK OF OUR PROGRAM IS EITHER THROUGH PARTNERS, AND 99% OF THEM ARE OFFERED AT NO COST AS WELL, BECAUSE OF SOME CREATIVE AND SOME GENEROUS, PARTNERS. AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH HOW THE RECREATION DIVISION OPERATES.NOT A NOT A COST CENTER PROFIT CENTER BY ANY STRETCH. AND IS THERE, WHAT KIND OF ARTS PROGRAMING DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR COMMUNITY CENTERS, AND WILL THAT STILL EXIST? IF HE ARE? I SAY HE ARTS, ARTS. SO SORRY. THE WAY THAT IT'S WRITTEN, IT LOOKS LIKE HE ARTS, WILL THAT STILL EXIST IF THEY WERE NOT TO BE FUNDED? IF THAT WAS NOT TO BE FUNDED, IT WOULD. LIKE I SAID EARLIER, IT WILL STILL EXIST, OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU TAKE ANY PARTNER AWAY, THEN SPECIFICALLY WHAT THEY DO GOES AWAY WITH THEM, SO WE WILL DO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL LOOK FOR SOME OTHER PARTNERS. AS I SAID, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF STUDIOS AND OUR OWN FACILITIES AS WELL AS METRO ARTS. SO WE, YOU KNOW, TRY TO FIND SOME WAYS TO DO SOME OTHER THINGS. WE ALSO HAVE AN ARTIST, OBVIOUSLY, ON STAFF, THAT WORKS AT METRO ARTS, AND WE WILL LOOK FOR WAYS TO GET THEM, YOU KNOW, MORE ENGAGED IN AND OUT OF THE OTHER CENTERS AS WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU, GOING BACK TO I AND PARKS, HOW HAS THAT INFORMATION IMPACTED DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND PROJECTED CAPITAL PROJECTS? OBVIOUSLY IT'S KIND OF DIFFICULT TO ANSWER BECAUSE ONE OF THE BIGGEST METRICS WE CAN PULL FROM THAT IS NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING INTO OUR PARKS. AND SO YOU WANT TO INVEST IN THE PARKS THAT HAVE THE MOST PEOPLE GOING TO THEM, BUT MAYBE THE PARKS THAT DESERVE THE INVESTMENT ARE THE PARKS THAT HAVE THE LEAST NUMBER OF PEOPLE GOING TO THEM BECAUSE THERE MUST BE A REASON WHY THEY'RE NOT GOING INTO THEM. SO CAN YOU KIND OF TALK ABOUT HOW THAT INFORMATION IS IMPACTING OR INFLUENCING YOUR DECISION, AND IS THAT SOMETHING USEFUL? I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF A COST BURDEN IT IS TO COLLECT THAT DATA, BUT IS IT USEFUL, I THINK IT IS USEFUL, WE'RE A LITTLE BIT , ON THE YOUNG SIDE, THE IMMATURE SIDE OF ACTUALLY GETTING THE DATA AND USING THE DATA, SO WE'RE LEARNING A LOT AS WE GET IT, AND TRYING TO ANALYZE AND DETERMINE WHAT IS IT REALLY TELLING US, SO I REALLY CAN'T ANSWER THAT WITH ANY CONFIDENCE BECAUSE WE'RE STILL TRYING TO TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IT OURSELVES, AND, AND I THINK IN THE FUTURE, I THINK IT'S GOING TO HELP US GUIDE, MAKING DECISIONS IN THE FUTURE. I'M INTERESTED TO STAY IN THAT CONVERSATION OR HEAR MORE ABOUT IT. WHEN YOU LEARN MORE, AND GOING BACK TO ANOTHER QUESTION, THAT COUNCILMAN PIAGENTINI HAD ASKED ABOUT, AND I THINK A FEW PEOPLE HAVE TOUCHED ON IT, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S REMAINING IN THE BUDGET FOR, FOR, PARKS PROJECTS, SOMETHING TO THE TUNE OF 4.1, OR $41 MILLION. WHAT IS THE HOLDUP IN GETTING THESE PROJECTS DONE? IS IT INTERNAL PERSONNEL? CONTRACTERS. IT PRETTY MUCH EVERY EACH ONE OF THOSE COST CENTERS IS GOING TO HAVE A STORY. SO SOME OF THOSE SOME OF THOSE POTS OF MONEY WERE ALLOCATED IN LET'S SAY, FIVE YEARS AGO. AND IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO IMPLEMENT THE PROJECT. SO IT JUST SITS, SO THERE'S, THERE'S THAT KIND OF CATEGORY, SOME OF WE, WE STILL HAVE, SOME OF THE PUBLIC WORKS LOUISVILLE LOOP COST CENTERS IN OUR BUDGET AS WELL, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE IT STARTED. AND WITH, WITH LEAP AND WORKDAY, THEY DIDN'T SWITCH OVER. SO THEY'RE STILL IN PARKS, COST CENTERS. SO THERE'S SOME MONEY THERE, THERE'S SOME PROJECTS WITH ABSOLUTELY NO BUDGET, BUT THEY STILL SHOW UP ON, ON THE REPORT. SO I THINK, LIKE ANGIE SAID, WE NEED TO GO THROUGH AND KIND OF SCRUB, DO A DEEP DIVE INTO, YOU KNOW, WHICH PROJECTS ARE REAL, WHICH, WHICH CAN ACTUALLY FALL OFF AND DROP OFF, BUT YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO DO WITH THOSE TO TRY TO CLEAN THAT UP. ABSOLUTELY AND JUST AS A REQUEST FOR ANYONE OUT THERE IN THE ETHER, I WOULD LOVE FOR SOMEONE TO EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LOUISVILLE LOOP TO ME AND WHY IT'S NECESSARY. WE HEAR IT A LOT IN CONVERSATIONS, BUT I'M NOT EXPECTING YOU TO ANSWER THAT. BUT, A LOT OF MONEY IS GOING TOWARDS IT, AND I WOULD LOVE TO
[00:50:04]
KNOW MORE ABOUT THE FUTURE VISION OF THAT. I UNDERSTAND CONNECTIVITY, BUT PRIORITIES ARE ALSO ANOTHER THING. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. COUNCILMAN KRAMER HAS A QUICK FOLLOW UP.AND THEN COUNCILMAN AN IMMEDIATE FOLLOW UP TO THE QUESTION SHE ASKED ABOUT LOUISVILLE LOOP.
WE'LL TALK OFFLINE. WHEN YOU TO YOUR POINT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EACH LINE ITEM HAS ITS OWN STORY. I WONDER WHEN OR IF, WE REACH OUT TO COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE SAID I WANT THIS PROJECT TO THIS PARK, I WANT THIS PROJECT TO THAT PARK. AND THEY JUST PARK MONEY THERE, IF THAT MONEY'S BEEN SITTING IN THAT IN THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT FOR FIVE YEARS, WHEN DOES THE CONVERSATION HAPPEN WITH THAT COUNCIL PERSON? WHERE WE GO BACK AND SAY, LOOK, YOU'VE GOT DEFERRED MAINTENANCE IN THESE THREE PARKS IN YOUR DISTRICT THAT WELL EXCEEDS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU'VE GOT PARKED THERE. IT IT HASN'T GONE ANYWHERE. IT NEEDS MORE MONEY EITHER. YOU NEED TO EITHER PUT MORE OF YOUR SEPH IN THERE, CONVINCE THE MAYOR TO PUT MORE IN, OR THE MONEY JUST SITS THERE. WHEN I, THE PARKS DIRECTOR, COULD BE USING THAT MONEY IN YOUR DISTRICT IN DEFERRED MAINTENANCE . DO THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAPPEN? I DON'T THINK THEY'VE HAPPENED AS MUCH AS THEY SHOULD. OKAY, SHOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT WE INITIATE, OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT COULD COME FROM YOU, FROM PARKS? I THINK IT SHOULD COME FROM PARKS. ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. I MEAN, WE KNOW WHAT THE PROJECTS ARE AND ABOUT HOW MUCH IT THE BUDGET SHOULD BE, WE WON'T PUT LANGUAGE TO ASK YOU TO DO THAT, I DON'T THINK, BUT WE WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. I'VE GOT. I'VE GOT NO PROBLEM. CALLING AND MEETING WITH WITH ALL 26, I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL IF THE IF WE MET WITH EACH COUNCIL PERSON. YEAH. AND JUST SAID, LOOK, IT'S EITHER MOVE IT OFF THE BOOKS OR COUNCILMAN OWEN. THANKS THANKS, CHAIR. JUST A QUICK FOLLOW UP. AND YOU WERE VERY CLEAR IN YOUR ANSWER ABOUT MARY T AS AN AUDITORIUM AND LOSING MONEY. BUT I THINK WE DID TAKE ON A COUPLE OF PROJECTS LAST YEAR. THERE AND I GUESS DEPENDING ON WHETHER THEY WERE COUNTED AS CAPITAL PROJECTS OR MAINTENANCE PROJECTS WHEREVER THEY, YOU KNOW, LIKE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, IS THAT PART OF THE LOSS THAT'S SHOWN UP? THERE WOULD BE THOSE PROJECTS THAT WERE INCLUDED LAST YEAR. SO MAYBE LAST YEAR'S LOSS WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN IT WOULD OTHERWISE BE BECAUSE OF THOSE COUPLE OF PROJECTS THAT I KNOW WE DID WELL, I THINK IN ADDITION TO MARY T, I THINK THE PROFIT LOSS PAPER THAT YOU HAD ALSO INCLUDED THE TWO OTHER OUTDOOR POOLS IS, IS. GIVE ME ONE SECOND TO VERIFY THAT. I'M PRETTY SURE IT DID THOUGH. THAT CONVERSATION HIT CLOSE TO HOME, SO I WAS ASKING THE QUESTION. IT'S AS MANY PEOPLE AS USE THE POOL. IT'S JUST HARD TO BELIEVE THAT IT OPERATES AT SUCH A NEGATIVE, NUMBER. SO, OKAY, SO NOT THAT IT MAKES IT ANY BETTER, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE WHAT WAS WHAT WAS SUBMITTED WAS ALL OF AQUATICS, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE, THE COSTS FOR THE FAIRDALE POOL OPERATIONS LAST SUMMER AND THE SUN VALLEY POOL AND MARY T, THEY WERE KIND OF ALL LUMPED TOGETHER INTO ONE COST CENTER. SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS BASICALLY THE LOSS OF AQUATICS, NOT NECESSARILY JUST MARY T. I'M A SMALL PERSON IN A WAY THAT MAKES IT BETTER. COUNCILMAN REED OOPS, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SO BACK TO WHAT, COUNCILMAN KRAMER WAS SAYING EARLIER. IF I UNDERSTOOD CORRECTLY, IF WE WERE TO BUILD FROM SCRATCH A BRAND NEW NATATORIUM, WE COULD EXPECT, I MEAN, STATE OF THE ART.
EVERYTHING ELSE, ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES THAT WE COULD EXPECT LOST IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $1 MILLION A YEAR IN MY OPINION. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN KRAMER, THANK YOU.
THERE WAS A GOOD BIT OF CONVERSATION LAST YEAR OR TWO YEARS AGO AROUND. YOUTH AGENCIES OR OTHERS USING PARK FIELDS AND HOW THAT PAY STRUCTURE WOULD LOOK AND WHAT THOSE LEASES WOULD BE AND ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, WE HAD ASKED THAT YOU GUYS WOULD PUT TOGETHER A MASTER PLAN AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT. WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED ABOUT THE WAY WE'RE GOING TO LEASE FIELDS, THE HOW THAT WORKS, THE THEY'VE GOT THE YOUTH LEAGUES, THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE IN PARTICULAR, UTILIZED PARK FIELDS , FOR PRACTICES AT NO, AT NO CHARGE, THAT THAT'S KIND OF
[00:55:04]
THAT'S FIELD BY FIELD, THERE'S ALSO THE, THE REC AGREEMENTS, WHAT WE CALL IT. IT'S SIMILAR TO A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH ORGANIZED SESSIONS THAT BASICALLY OCCUPY SPACE WITHIN A PARK, FOR EXAMPLE , PORTLAND LITTLE LEAGUE FOLKS OUT IN LANDON PARK OR CROSBY PARK HAS GOT, EAST LOUISVILLE SPORTS. THEY BASICALLY OCCUPY ACTUAL PARK PROPERTY, FOR THEIR LEAGUE PURPOSES. NOW FOR THAT, THERE IS A RECREATIONAL LEAGUE FEE CHARGE, WHICH IS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THE FIELD BY FIELD RENTAL. IT SEEMS LIKE WE LEARNED THAT THERE WAS A THERE WAS A GREAT BIT OF DISPARITY BETWEEN PARKS AND BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONS THAT SOME FOLKS ORGANIZATIONS WERE PAYING A LEASE FEE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN COMMENSURATE WITH, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU COULD LEASE FIELDS IN THAT AREA FOR. AND OTHERS WERE WERE BASICALLY BEING TOLD, WE'RE HAPPY YOU'RE DOING SPORTS PROGRAMS HERE FOR YOUTH. AND SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO A LEASE. AND THE WHOLE POINT OF THAT, OR AS I RECALL FROM THAT CONVERSATION, WE WERE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT MORE CONSISTENT. AND I'M CURIOUS. AND I DIDN'T HEAR IN YOUR ANSWER THAT WE HAVE COME UP WITH SOMETHING MORE CONSISTENT. SO I'M CURIOUS IF AND I'LL USE THE ONES YOU USE BECAUSE I DON'T I DON'T KNOW, A BUNCH OF THEM, BUT IF I WENT AND ASKED THE THREE THAT YOU JUST NAMED, WHAT THEIR ARRANGEMENT WAS WITH THE PARK, ARE ALL THREE OF THOSE YOUTH SPORTS PROGRAMS ARRANGEMENTS THE SAME? YES OKAY. SO WE FIGURED OUT HOW TO DO THAT. AND YES, WE HAVE IT ALL BALANCED. GREAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN HAWKINS, COUNCILMAN KRAMER, I JUST WANT TO PIGGYBACK OFF YOU A LITTLE BIT, I WANT TO SAY THAT, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW BACK UP ON THAT, BUT I THINK PARKS HAVE BEEN A GREAT STEWARD TO THE YOUTH THAT ARE THAT, ARE IN THOSE SPACES. I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THE , NON CONSISTENCY, BEING THAT THIS IS A SPECIALTY OF MINE, AND THAT IS THAT IF YOU HAVE PARKS THAT ARE IN THE EAST END, THEY WERE BEING CHARGED $1,000 A YEAR UNDER THE CONTRACT, THEY MAY HAVE HAD BASEBALL, LITTLE LEAGUE FOOTBALL AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THEY WAS ABLE TO, GENERATE REVENUE, ON THEIR FIELDS, IN THE PARKS IN THE WEST END, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO GENERATE THAT TYPE OF REVENUE ON THEIR PRACTICE FIELDS. SO I THINK THAT THAT IS THE REASON WHY IT WAS THE INCONSISTENCY OF FOR THOSE RATES, BUT I THINK NOW PARKS IS DOING A MOU ON THOSE. AND WE CAN REVISIT THAT IF NEED BE. BUT I AM DEFINITELY OKAY WITH THOSE YOUTH FOOTBALL TEAMS, BEING IN THOSE SPACES. FOR RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE THEY'RE KIND OF SERVING, FOR US NOT TO HAVE TO HAVE RANGERS, IN THOSE SPACES IN THE DAYTIME, ESPECIALLY DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, WHEN KIDS ARE IN SCHOOL. SO FOR PARKS TO CHARGE, ANY YOUTH ENTITY THAT, IS NOT WITH A, SO SOLIDIFIED ORGANIZATION, THAT ARE IN THOSE SPACES, AND YOU HAVE, ADULTS THAT ARE VOLUNTEERING FOR THOSE YOUTH SPORTS. I'M DEFINITELY NOT IN SUPPORT OF CHARGING THEM, AND THE ONES THAT DO HAVE THOSE, CONCESSION STANDS DURING THE SUMMERS IN THE EAST END AREAS OF TOWN, BEING CHARGED JUST $1,000 FLAT FEE, I THINK THAT THAT IS WELL SERVED. SO WE CAN ALWAYS REVISIT THAT, IF YOU LIKE. AND GET THOSE ENTITIES IN HERE. BUT I THINK PARKS DID PHENOMENAL WITH CREATING AS MUCH CONSISTENCY AS THEY COULD, ESPECIALLY WITH BEING THE BALANCE YOU THERE'S NO WAY THAT IT WOULD BE FAR INCONSISTENT. JUST DON'T GET THOSE SAME TYPE OF PARENTS IN THE EAST END AS YOU DO IN THE WEST END. THANK YOU. I DON'T SEE ANYONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YEP. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. WE WILL, COME BACK WITH THE OFFICE OF HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AS SOON AS WE CAN MAKE THE CHANGE.[01:03:29]
TO MAKE SURE THAT'S ALL OKAY. I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS BACK TO ORDER AGAIN, RICK BLACKWELL, THE[ ID 24-0286 Office of Housing and Community Development]
CHAIR OF THE BUDGET COMMITTEE. VICE CHAIR. KEVIN KRAMER WITH ME . ALSO IN THE CHAMBERS IS COUNCILWOMAN PARISH. RIGHT. COUNCILWOMAN OWEN, COUNCILMAN PIAGENTINI, AND, HER COMMITTEE MEMBERS, ALSO COUNCILMAN REED AND COUNCILWOMAN HAWKINS. COUNCILWOMAN CHAPPELL. SEE, I HAVE, VIRTUALLY I HAVE, COUNCILWOMAN, CINDY FOWLER. COUNCILWOMAN PARKER, AND COUNCILWOMAN MCCRANEY, AND I BELIEVE COUNCILWOMAN RUDY IS GOING TO JOIN US. SO, REMINDER, DEPARTMENTS WILL NOT BE MAKING OPENING COMMENTS. WE'LL GET STARTED RIGHT AWAY. WANT TO REMIND YOU, BEFORE WE START THAT DISCUSSING OFFICE OF HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT'S PROPOSED $10.49 MILLION OPERATING BUDGET AND $33.32 MILLION CAPITAL BUDGET, THERE ARE SOME SYSTEM CONVERSION ISSUES WHICH MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO BE ABLE TO COMPARE THIS BUDGET WITH LAST YEAR OR THE YEAR BEFORE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS, LET ME I'LL START WITH A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS HERE. AND THEN, ONCE I TURN IT OVER TO YOU, IF YOU IDENTIFY YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD AND ANSWER, PLEASE, A COUPLE OF THINGS. SO, THE MAYOR, WE TALKED ABOUT THE[01:05:01]
NEED FOR HAVING SOME, SOME REDUCTIONS. AND SO WE HAVE A FEW, FUNDING REDUCTIONS AND SOME ELIMINATIONS FROM OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE'VE SPENT IN THE PAST. SO JUST A QUESTION ABOUT HOW WHY WE CHOSE THOSE ORGANIZATIONS AND, WHAT IMPACT IT WILL HAVE ON ON THE ORGANIZATIONS OR ON THE COMMUNITY. IF YOU'LL START WITH THAT ONE, I'LL HAVE A FOLLOW UP, AND THEN I'LL GET TO THE Q. HI. MARILYN HARRIS, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. HELLO, EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, SO AS HAS BEEN STATED, MANY TIMES BEFORE, THERE'S SOME DECISIONS THAT THE MAYOR HAD TO MAKE, DUE TO PERSONNEL ISSUES. AND SO THOSE, THOSE, THOSE DECISIONS CARRIED ON THROUGH THE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BUDGET, AND YES, IT WILL HAVE SOME IMPACT ON AGENCIES. ANY TIME FUNDS ARE CUT FROM AN AGENCY, THERE IS AN IMPACT. WE, AS THE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, WE'LL DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO WORK WITH THOSE AGENCIES AND SEE IF WE CAN MINIMIZE THAT DIRECT IMPACT. BUT A FUNDING IMPACT IS ALWAYS AN IMPACT, ONE OTHER, SO THE 238,000 FOR METRO HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, IS THAT BEING IS THAT, ENTIRELY BEING USED AT D'OSCAR MANOR? I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T HEAR THE LAST PART OF THAT. IS IT ENTIRELY BEING USED AT D'OSCAR MANOR, YES IT IS. OKAY. THANK YOU, I THINK, COUNCILMAN, ARE YOU IN THIS ONE? YOU'RE ON. JUST REMIND YOU YOU NEED TO SWITCH DOWN TO THE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. IF YOU WERE ON THE PARKS AND RECREATION BEFORE. SO, COUNCILMAN OWEN, THANK YOU. CHAIR. SO I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS ABOUT WE. AFTER THE PANDEMIC, WE LANDLORDS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO EVICT PEOPLE. AND SO THERE WAS THIS CLIFF EXPECTED OF PEOPLE GETTING EVICTED, FRANKLY, AND MAYBE I JUST MISSED IT, BUT I, I DON'T FEEL LIKE THERE WAS AS MUCH OF A WAVE OF EVICTIONS MAYBE AS PEOPLE EXPECTED. AND YOU CAN YOU CAN YOU CAN CLEAR THAT UP IF I'M WRONG, BUT AS WE SCALE BACK OUR EVICTION PREVENTION PROGRAMS, WHAT IS OUR EXPECTATION ON GOING FORWARD AS TO HOW THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT THE MARKET AND OUR HOMELESS POPULATION AND OTHER THINGS, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. AS YOU ALL KNOW, I'VE DONE AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF WORK IN THE FIELD OF EVICTION PREVENTION SINCE THE PANDEMIC HAPPENED. AND IT WAS A LOT OF FUN. IT WAS A LITTLE BIT LIKE SANTA CLAUS GIVING OUT MONEY TO EVERYBODY THAT NEEDED IT TO STAY HOUSED, UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE DOWN TO ABOUT $581,000 OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE AS OF THE BEGINNING OF THIS WEEK. THAT'S ALL WE HAVE LEFT OF OUR 177 MILLION IN EVICTION PREVENTION DOLLARS AS ACTUAL DIRECT ASSISTANCE, WE HAVE SOME MONEY OUT THERE THAT WE'VE EXECUTED CONTRACTS WITH THE AREA COMMUNITY MINISTRY FOR HOUSING STABILIZATION. AND SO THEY WILL BE DOING HOUSING NAVIGATION SERVICES AND WORKING WITH HOUSEHOLDS TO, TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF AN EVICTION OR A PRE EVICTION, I'LL USE THAT TERM JUST, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY THEY KNOW THEY CAN'T PAY THE RENT AND THEY, THEY EITHER HAVE TO VACATE WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE EVICTION PROCESS MOST OF THE TIMES, THAT DOES HAPPEN. MANY TIMES THAT DOES HAPPEN. PEOPLE JUST CHOOSE TO LEAVE WHEN THEY KNOW THEY CAN'T PAY THE RENT. SO WE ARE WORKING WITH THE AREA COMMUNITY MINISTRIES AND THEY ARE BUILDING A HOUSING STABILITY NETWORK OF HOUSING NAVIGATORS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LEARNED DURING THE PANDEMIC, ESPECIALLY WHEN PEOPLE STARTED LOSING THEIR JOBS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE WORLD SHUT DOWN, WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE LIVING IN HOUSING THAT THAT IN THE REOPENING OF THE WORLD WAS NOT AFFORDABLE TO THEM. SO THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD $2,000 A MONTH IN RENT IN DECEMBER OF 19. BUT NOW THEY'RE BACK TO WORK, AND THEY'RE WORKING A JOB THAT NO LONGER OR THAT THEIR JOB THAT THEY HAD NO LONGER EXISTS. AND SO NOW THEY CAN REALLY ONLY AFFORD $1,500 A MONTH. AND SO THE AREA COMMUNITY MINISTRIES ARE WE HAVE PROVIDED FUNDING FOR THEM THAT WILL OPEN UP JULY 1ST, AND THEY WILL BE DOING HOUSING NAVIGATION. SO TAKING INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE AND SAYING, OKAY, LET'S LOOK AT YOUR BUDGET. LET'S FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD. AND THEN WORKING TO FIND HOUSING THAT MEETS YOUR NEEDS. AND THAT IS A HUGE, HUGE, THAT'S A HUGE SERVICE THAT WE HAVE NEVER HAD BEFORE IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND I WILL SAY THAT IS ONLY POSSIBLE. THIS PROGRAM IS ONLY POSSIBLE DUE TO THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN AND THE EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE DOLLARS THAT WE HAD, BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE, AS A COMMUNITY, TO COME TOGETHER AND REALLY FIGURE OUT HOW WE HAD TO GO ABOUT DOING THIS TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE WERE HOUSED IN HOUSING THAT WAS AFFORDABLE TO THAT SPECIFIC HOUSEHOLD. AND SO THAT IS THE WORK THAT WILL HAPPEN WITH THAT[01:10:04]
MONEY THAT WE HAVE FOR THE AREA COMMUNITY MINISTRIES. WE ALSO HAVE A PRE EVICTION MEDIATION PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY , SUCCESSFUL. WE'VE GOT, A COMPANY CALLED AND I'M GOING TO GET THEIR NAME WRONG. I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO GIVE IT BECAUSE I'M GOING TO GET IT WRONG. BUT THEY ARE DOING PRE EVICTION. SO IF YOU ARE A LANDLORD AND YOU NEED YOU NEED THAT INCOME FOR YOUR RENT, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT BECAUSE YOU PROBABLY HAVE A MORTGAGE TO PAY. BUT INSTEAD OF FILING AN EVICTION WHICH WILL STAY ON SOMEONE'S RECORD FOR PERPETUITY, THEY CAN OPT TO GO THROUGH MEDIATION AND THEY WORK WITH A CERTIFIED MEDIATOR. AND THEN WE ARE PAYING THOSE CERTIFIED MEDIATION SERVICES AND THEN INSTEAD OF FILING AN EVICTION, THEY GET A SETTLEMENT THAT GETS ENTERED INTO THE COURT SYSTEM. AND IF THE CLIENT DOES NOT ABIDE BY THE TERMS, THEN THEY CAN GO TO MEDIATION. BUT THE MEDIATION IS FREE FOR THE LANDLORD AND THE TENANT, AND WE CAN POSSIBLY MEDIATE A MOVE OUT OR SOME TYPE OF SETTLEMENT TO GET THAT TENANT OUT WITHOUT THAT EVICTION. SO WITH THE HOUSING STABILITY SERVICES FROM ACM AND THE MEDIATION PROGRAM, WE ARE CAPTURING A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE, AND, AND KEEPING THEM FROM BEING IN EVICTION COURT, I DID TALK TO , TO HARRISON KIRBY, I BELIEVE, BEN, COUNCILMAN RENO WEBER MENTIONED LAST WEEK THAT THEY HAVE A NUMBER OF WHAT, THE BACKLOG OF EVICTION DOLLARS ARE RIGHT NOW AND FOR JANUARY THROUGH MARCH IN THE CITY, IT'S ABOUT 6.1 MILLION. SO IF YOU EXTRAPOLATE THAT OUT FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR, IT WOULD BE ABOUT 24 MILLION, A LAST YEAR WHEN I STOOD RIGHT HERE AND SAID, NEXT YEAR I'M GOING TO COME TO YOU FOR EVICTION PREVENTION MONEY, THE NUMBER WAS MORE LIKE 65 MILLION OF UNPAID RENT. SO WE'RE WE'VE WE'VE GOT IT DOWN, I AM SUPER OPTIMISTIC THAT THE REASON IT IS LESS NOW THAN IT WAS LAST YEAR IS A WE'VE HAD AN INFLUX OF MONEY INTO THE SYSTEM, BUT B, WE ALSO ARE GETTING PEOPLE BEFORE THEY GET TO THE POINT OF THAT EVICTION. AND THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL HOUSING PEOPLE BEFORE THEY'RE EVICTED IS A LOT LESS EXPENSIVE THAN HOUSING SOMEONE WHO IS HOMELESS AND PROVIDING ALL OF THOSE SERVICES AT THAT POINT. SO SO I MEAN, THAT SOUNDS FANTASTIC IN THE WAY IT SOUNDS LIKE NOT ONLY DID WE HAVE MONEY TO HELP PEOPLE, BUT WE ALSO LEARN ED DURING THE PROCESS OF HOW BETTER TO HELP PEOPLE, WHICH IS AN AMAZING THING. THAT'S A REALLY GOOD THING TO HEAR. SO THE 581,000 THAT WE HAVE LEFT, ARE WE ABLE TO SUSTAIN SOME OF THIS? ANY LONGER WITH THAT, SOME OF THE PRE KIND OF THE MEDIATION AND THE PRE EVICTION THINGS AND SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS THAT SOUND LIKE THEY REALLY WORK. SO THE 581 IS DIRECT RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR HOUSEHOLDS. THE THERE'S A MILLION FOR THE HOUSING STABILITY WHICH PAYS THE SALARIES FOR THE NAVIGATORS AND THE PEOPLE TO DO THAT WORK ON THE GROUND AND THERE'S ABOUT 77,000 IN MEDIATION SERVICES LEFT. WE THINK THAT'LL GET US THROUGH ABOUT DECEMBER AT THERE AND AT THEIR RATE THAT THEY'RE USING. SO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN, CREATE IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS WITH ALL OF THIS WORK, A SYSTEM THAT REALLY WORKS. AND WE ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE JEFFERSON COUNTY COURTS OF THE CLERK SYSTEM, THE STATE COURTS SYSTEM, TO TRY AND GET MEDIATION IN AS A PRECURSOR TO THE EVICTION. SO JUST KIND OF A STANDARD IN JEFFERSON COUNTY, EVEN ACROSS THE STATE, KENTUCKY HOUSING CORPORATION HAS BEEN DOING A LOT OF THIS WORK IN LEXINGTON, THERE IS AN ORDINANCE, A LAW. I DON'T I PARDON ME, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW THEY DID IT, BUT YOU CANNOT FILE AN EVICTION IN, IN LEXINGTON UNLESS YOU GO THROUGH MEDIATION FIRST PERIOD. END OF STORY, AND SO THEY'RE DOING MEDIATIONS LEFT AND RIGHT IN LEXINGTON, AND THEY ARE SEEING SOME RESULTS WITH THAT. AND WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE HAVE THAT. WE ARE BUILDING THAT CONSISTENT BASIS OF LANDLORDS WHO ARE TAPPING INTO THAT MEDIATION SERVICES. SO THAT WE CAN PROVE TO OTHER LANDLORDS WHO MAY NOT WANT TO DO THAT, THAT IT IS SUCCESSFUL. I'M A HUGE BELIEVER IN AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION, AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO THINK THAT AS A BODY THAT WE COULD CONTINUE TO FUND SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS THAT WE LEARNED THROUGH THIS PROCESS. WE HAVE LEARNED WORK AND WILL SAVE US MONEY. I THINK A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY OVER TIME, AS LONG AS WE CONTINUE TO FUND FUND THEM. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PIACENTINI. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, LET ME JUST MAKE A COMMENT ON THE PROGRAM. YOU TALKED ABOUT THE NAVIGATORS THAT ARE LOOKING AT SOMEBODY'S BUDGET AND ADVOCATING AND ADVISING THEM ON WHAT'S WITHIN THEIR BUDGET. WE'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT, PEOPLE WHO ARE RENT BURDENED OR HOUSING BURDENED, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, THIS PERCENTAGE OF THEIR INCOME, HOW MUCH THEY'RE THEY'RE SPENDING ON HOUSING COSTS AND, LOOK, I GET[01:15:05]
IT. BUT, AND THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE LEGITIMATELY IN BAD CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT BUT I CAN ALSO TELL YOU THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE HOUSE BROKE WHO MAKE PLENTY OF MONEY, JUST MADE VERY BAD DECISIONS AND PUT THEMSELVES INTO A HOUSE THAT THEY CAN'T AFFORD, OR AN APARTMENT THAT THEY CAN'T AFFORD. RIGHT. AND THEY HAD OPTIONS, RIGHT? SO I THINK, AGAIN, LOOKING AT IT AS INSTEAD OF HELPING SOMEBODY WHO MIGHT HAVE MADE A BAD CHOICE, GIVING PEOPLE THE EDUCATION UP FRONT AND I, I LOVE THAT LEVEL OF INNOVATION TO, COUNCILMAN OWENS POINT THAT PREVENTION SORT OF THING TO SAY. LOOK, OKAY, I KNOW YOU WANT TO LIVE IN THAT APARTMENT COMPLEX, BUT LET'S BE SERIOUS ABOUT YOUR BUDGET. THIS IS WHAT'S AVAILABLE ON THE MARKET. MAKE SENSE FOR YOU? AND YOU CAN YOU CAN LIVE SUSTAINABLY IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES. SO LOVE THOSE IDEAS, BECAUSE, LOOK, FRANKLY, I'VE AND I'VE BEEN QUITE CLEAR ABOUT THIS. THE PANDEMIC WAS ONE THING, PARTICULARLY WHEN THE FEDS WERE HELPING. THIS CITY CANNOT DO ONGOING RENTAL SUPPORT. THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. WE DON'T HAVE THE BUDGET FOR IT. IT DOESN'T WORK. BUT YOU'VE PUT TOGETHER A SERIES OF REALLY CREATIVE PROGRAMS HERE THAT CAN, SORT OF STEM THAT OFF AND HELP PEOPLE, LIVE IN MORE SUSTAINABLE THINGS. I THINK THERE IS A ROLE FOR LOCAL GOVERNANCE IN THAT. RIGHT? SO WELL DONE. I LIKE THE CREATIVITY, AS OPPOSED TO JUST STRAIGHT SUBSIDIZING. RIGHT SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT REAL QUICK, BRING UP THE CBDG DOLLARS. AND I THINK I'VE ALREADY SAID THIS, BUT, MARILYN, JUST TO PUT IT IN CONTEXT FOR YOU, WOULDN'T BE NEWS TO MISS DUNN OR OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION THAT I'VE GOT A BROADER CONCERN HERE THAT I THINK IS MANIFESTED SPECIFICALLY IN THIS. SO I'M GOING TO ASK WHY THE DECISION WAS MADE HERE. BUT MY BROADER CONCERN IS THAT THIS IS NOT THE ONLY PLACE, BUT IN A COUPLE OF PLACES, WE'RE USING THINGS THAT SHOULD GO DIRECTLY TO CAPITAL OR COULD GO TO DIRECTLY TO CAPITAL, NOT DOING ANYTHING ILLEGAL, BUT WE'RE USING IT FOR OPERATING COSTS. TO ME, IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE ACKNOWLEDGING WE'RE IN AN OPERATING DEFICIT AND WE'RE COVERING IT WITH DOLLARS THAT WE IDEALLY WOULD PUT IN CAPITAL AS OPPOSETO YOU KNOW, SORT OF ADDRESSING NOW THE ISSUE. AND I FE LIKE WE'RE KICKING THE CAN A TTLE BIT ON IT. SO, BUT SO SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS PARTICULAR FUND, BECAUSE THERE WAS OTHER FUNDS THAT I HAD THIS ISSUE WITH. WE'RE TAKING 2 MILLION OF THE 11 MILLION CDBG BLOCK GRANT, MONIES TO PAY FOR OPERATING COSTS. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE DECISION MAKING BEHIND THAT AND WHY WHY WE'RE DOING THAT? AND WHAT'S THE LONG TERM IMPLICATIONS OF THAT? SURE, SO THE BIG ANSWER IS THAT, THIS MOVE OF MOVING MONEY FROM CAPITAL TO OPERATING HELPS US STAY IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAMS, TIMELINESS, EXPENDITURE REQUIREMENTS, AND, THAT IS IN 2008, 18, MAYBE 19. I DON'T REMEMBER WHICH YEAR IT WAS. I'M SORRY. THEY ALL KIND OF RUN TOGETHER, BUT WE DID MAKE THAT SWITCH FROM OPERATING TO CAPITAL WITH CDBG FUNDS, AND SINCE THAT TIME WE ARE HAVE COME UP ON NOW, SOME, SOME TIMELINESS EXPENDITURE ISSUES THAT WE ARE RECTIFYING THING BY CHANGING SOME OF THIS MONEY BACK TO OPERATING. I CAN GO INTO DETAIL FURTHER IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO, BUT THAT'S A BIG ISSUE. I DO NEED A FOLLOW UP ON THIS. SO IF I UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, WE YEARS AGO, WHATEVER THE YEAR WAS, PUT IT ALL INTO CAPITAL.WE'RE NOW MOVING SOME BACK TO OPERATING BECAUSE OF A REPORTING COMPLIANCE ISSUE. BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT COMPLIANCE ISSUE EXISTED THE WHOLE TIME, SO SOMEBODY MUST HAVE BEEN DOING IT. IT'S NOT ACTUALLY EXISTED THE WHOLE TIME. IT'S ACCUMULATIVE. AND SO IT REARED ITS UGLY HEAD LAST YEAR. AND IT'S A MATTER OF MAKING SURE WE SPEND THE FUNDS AND NOT HAVE A BALANCE OF UNSPENT FUNDS SITTING IN OUR CDBG COFFERS AT HUD. AND WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS TAKEN OUR CDBG DOLLARS, AND WE'D LIKE TO MAKE SUBSTANTIAL AND TRANSFORMATIVE INVESTMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND SOMETIMES THOSE TAKE A LOT OF TIME TO GET DONE, RIGHT. THEY DON'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. AND THE CDBG REGULATIONS STATE THAT REALLY YOU CAN'T DO THAT. AND SO YOU CAN'T REALLY BANK THAT MONEY. WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO CARRY MORE THAN 1.5 TIMES OUR ANNUAL ALLOCATION IN THE CDBG COFFER. AND SO WE HAVE RUN UP ON A TIMELINESS EXPENDITURE ISSUE.
AND HUD IS GREAT THERE. YES, WE UNDERSTAND YOUR PROBLEM. WE UNDERSTAND YOUR SOLUTION AND WE'RE MOVING FORWARD. SO THEN YOU SAID IT'S CUMULATIVE. SO IS THIS GOING TO BE A ONE TIME
[01:20:03]
THING LIKE NEXT YEAR. WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THIS AGAIN. WELL THE CDBG REGULATIONS ARE CHANGING.THEY HAVEN'T COME OUT YET. BUT THERE IS SPECULATION I'M GIVING YOU THE BEST ANSWER I CAN. NO, NO, I KNOW HOW FEDERAL THERE IS SPECULATION. I'VE READ THE CHANGES AND THE CHANGES ACTUALLY WILL ALLOW US TO THEN BANK THE MONEY. BUT AT THE CURRENT TIME, UNDER THE CURRENT GUIDELINES, WE CANNOT DO THAT. AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN OR IF THOSE CDBG RULES WILL ACTUALLY CHANGE. SORRY, THAT IS A TERRIBLE ANSWER. THAT'S OKAY. TRUST ME. I KNOW HOW FED REGS WORK. YOU'RE GOOD. AND THEN I'M LAUGHING AT THEM, NOT AT YOU. TRUST ME. THE SO THEN LAST QUESTION WHY 2 MILLION? IS IT JUST BECAUSE OF THIS PERCENTAGE ISSUE. SO WE HAVE TO USE THE 2 MILLION. WE CAN'T USE 1 OR 1 BECAUSE 2 MILLION SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF OPERATING COSTS. I MEAN THAT'S A LOT OF PERSONNEL. IT'S MOSTLY THE PERSONNEL FROM OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM AND OUR INSPECTORS AND OUR INTAKE STAFF.
IT'S A LOT OF THAT. AND THESE PEOPLE WORK 100% WITH CDBG FUNDED PROGRAMS, AND IT'S LITERALLY LIKE 2.0 SOMETHING MILLION. IT'S JUST RIGHT OVER THAT STAFF COMBINED. THE THING ABOUT USING CDBG FOR OPERATING IS THAT THEY ARE THEN REQUIRED TO DO THE, TIME SHEETS IN 15 MINUTE INCREMENTS. OH MY GOD. AND SO THAT RIGHT, THAT IS THE MAIN REASON WE GOT AWAY FROM IT, BECAUSE OMB IS LIKE, YOU'RE KIDDING ME. WE'VE GOT TO DO THESE. I MEAN, IT'S IT IS A IT IS A LONG AND STORIED PROCESS. BUT, AND SO IT IS PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING 100% OF THEIR TIME ON CDBG FUNDED ACTIVITIES. IT JUST MAKES IT MAKES MORE SENSE. THANK YOU FOR THE CLARITY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN KRAMER. IF I COULD JUST FOLLOW UP, THEN I APPRECIATE SOME LEVEL OF CLARITY. BUT, YOU KNOW, AS I UNDERSTOOD, YOUR RESPONSE, I SEE ALL THOSE TIME SHEETS. NO. GOSH NO. THE THOUGHT OF THAT IS JUST OVERWHELMING TO ME, NO. BUT YOUR COMMENT WAS THAT, BECAUSE OF SOME CHANGES WE HAD TO SHOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO SPEND THE MONEY MORE, MORE QUICKLY, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT ARE CDBG FUNDED THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE BOOKS FOR A VERY LONG TIME, AND THAT WE COULD HAVE. ABSOLUTELY. I'M ASKING. I'M ASKING IT SEEMS LIKE IT SEEMS LIKE WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THOSE CAPITAL PROJECTS AND MET THE SAME, AND TOOK TAKING CARE OF YOUR SAME CONCERN. WE COULD HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THAT. I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION. THANK YOU. AND THE REASON I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION IS BECAUSE OVER THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS, BETH STEINBERG AND JUSTIN, MY AWESOME FINANCE GUY BACK HERE, AND THE ENTIRE TEAM AT OMB HAVE REALLY WORKED ON CLEANING UP THOSE PROJECTS THAT WERE OUTSTANDING. SO WHAT YOU GOT IN YOUR PACKET SHOWS US LITERALLY, IT'S LIKE TEN PAGES OF PROJECTS THAT ARE OUTSTANDING. AND THESE AMAZING PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN IT DOWN TO LITERALLY THREE PAGES OF OUTSTANDING PROJECTS. THE REST OF THEM WERE PROJECTS THAT WERE CLEANED OUT, AND IT WAS A, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, JUST A VERIFICATION BETWEEN THE LEAP PROGRAM THAT WE USED TO USE AND OUR ACCOUNTING SYSTEM THAT, I MEAN, THE IDIS OR CDBG ACCOUNTING SYSTEM. AND THEY HAVE WORKED EXTENSIVELY AND GOTTEN THOSE CLEANED UP AND DOWN TO JUST THREE PAGES FROM THE TEN.
SO A LOT OF THOSE PROJECTS WERE SHOWING AS WE WERE OVERDRAWN. WE HADN'T DRAWN ANY MONEY. AND IN FACT, THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. SO HOW MANY OF THOSE THREE PAGES COULD WE HAVE TAKEN CARE OF IF WE USE $2 MILLION, WELL, DO YOU WANT, LIKE, A DEFINITE NO, I'M JUST. IT FEELS. I MEAN, I'M YEAH. I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND YOUR ANSWER COMPARED TO THE QUESTION, RIGHT? THE QUESTION IS, WE'RE USING CDBG, CDBG DOLLARS TO DO OPERATIONAL THINGS. YOUR ANSWER WAS WE KIND OF HAVE TO BECAUSE THE, YOU KNOW, THE BACKLOG. BUT WE HAVE CAPITAL PROJECTS. SO IT'S REALLY I GUESS I'M QUESTIONING STILL WE DO WE HAVE CAPITAL PROJECTS. RIGHT. SO IS THE DECISION TO USE CDBG DOLLARS MORE ABOUT LIKE THIS IS A PHILOSOPHY THAT THE NEW MAYOR HAS, OR IS IT REALLY GOT TO DO WITH BECAUSE IF WE GOT THESE CAPITAL PROJECTS, WE COULD HAVE DONE THOSE JUST AS EASILY. IT WELL, THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT ARE OUTSTANDING AT THIS TIME ARE NOT READY TO MOVE FORWARD. OKAY.
THERE WE GO. SO THAT'S THE PROBLEM IS THAT THEY'RE JUST NOT READY TO MOVE FORWARD OKAY. SO YOU MOVE THOSE TWO THINGS TOGETHER RIGHT. EXACTLY IT IS A COMBINATION. WE HAD TO PROPOSE A RECOMMENDATION TO HUD. AND SO THAT HUD INCLUDED THAT PROPOSAL INCLUDED THAT. GOOD. THANK YOU.
SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE ANTICIPATE IN FUTURE YEARS USING MORE CDBG DOLLARS TOWARDS CAPITAL, WHERE WE CAN KNOCK ON WOOD IF HUD CHANGES THE REGULATIONS? WE COULD IF WE COULD CONTROL RIGHT, SO I HAVE ONE MORE. I WAS LOOKING AT THE, LIST OF, OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE ARE THAT WE ARE FUNDING DARE TO CARE DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT RENEWAL, AND ON THE ENTIRE LIST, WE HAVE WE HAVE MAINTAINED THE SAME LEVEL TO I WANT TO SAY THREE IF I'M LOOKING
[01:25:07]
AT IT CORRECTLY, MAYBE FOUR, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL REDUCTIONS. THERE WAS ONLY ONE INCREASE TO IS THE ONLY ONE, IT WENT FROM 172,000 TO 296,000. I'M CURIOUS WHY IS THAT TRUE? RIGHT. IT SEEMS JUST SO WE HAVE TO PAY DUES TO SEPTA AND THE DUES. THEY HAD NOT MADE A CHANGE IN OVER 30 YEARS TO THEIR DUES, STRUCTURE AND ONE DAY THEY CALLED US. SURPRISE, SURPRISE.WE'RE MAKING A CHANGE. AND SO IT IS GOING TO BE PRORATED OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS. LIKE INCREMENTALLY. AND SO THIS YEAR FOR, JULY 30, 23 TO 24, IT'S 249. NEXT YEAR IT'S GOING TO BE 296. AND THE THIRD YEAR, 2526. IT'S GOING TO BE 343. SO THAT IS WHY THAT IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. AND SO IS IT SAFE TO GUESS THAT THE NEW FEES ARE BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE USER. SO LOUISVILLE IS PAYING A BIGGER PORTION. I WOULD SAY YES. POPULATION SHIFT I'M SORRY.
POPULATION SHIFT SHARE. POPULATION SHARE POPULATION SHARE. MR. O'BRIEN I GET IT. I JUST YEAH. OKAY. IT'S ODD THAT OH THAT'S A SAD COMMENT. BUT THEY KEPT IT CHARGES US MORE BECAUSE WE'RE BIGGER. BUT THE STATE GIVES US LESS BECAUSE WE'RE BIGGER. I, I KNOW, BUT THEY DO OVERLAP IN SOME SMALL WAY. SO THANK YOU. IT'S JUST AN OBSERVATION. I DON'T SEE ANYONE ELSE. YEAH. ARE YOU. OH, YOU'RE ON PARKS AND REC. THAT'S WHAT. YOU ARE. YOU'RE IN PARKS AND REC. YEAH. COUNCILWOMAN HAWKINS, THANKS FOR BEING HERE, MISS HARRIS, I'M GOING TO ECHO OFF MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCILMAN OWENS A LITTLE BIT. JUST ABOUT, THOSE PROGRAMS. I THINK THOSE SOUND LIKE REALLY, REALLY AWESOME PROGRAMS, ARE. HOW LONG ARE THOSE PROGRAMS? SHOULD SHOULD PEOPLE JUST TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE PROGRAMS NOW ON OR, AFTER THAT FUNDING RUNS OUT, ARE THEY GOING TO BE SELF-SUSTAINABLE? I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE STAY AROUND FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND HOW YOU BROKE THAT DOWN. THAT'S AWESOME, BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, I SAID ALL THE TIME, AND ME AND YOU GO ROUND AND ROUND ABOUT THIS, THAT SO OFTEN PEOPLE SAY THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS AFFORDABLE WHEN WE REALLY KNOW IT'S NOT. I THINK HOW YOU JUST BROKE THAT DOWN WAS PHENOMENAL.
AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU DO. AND I'M NOT SURE WHO CAME UP WITH THIS GREAT PROGRAM AND HOW LONG THAT THAT HAS BEEN AROUND, BUT THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD OF THAT PROGRAM, AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL. SO WHAT IS IT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO KIND OF KEEP THAT PROGRAM AROUND, AT LEAST FOR A WHILE, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. BEFORE YOU ANSWER THAT, JUST A SECOND HERE, I NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, COUNCILWOMAN SHANKLIN HAS BEEN WITH US FROM THE BEGINNING. SHE JUST REMINDED ME OF THAT, AND, COUNCILWOMAN, COUNCILMAN ARTHUR HAS JOINED US AS WELL. SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU. YOU'RE BACK, THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN, COUNCILWOMAN HAWKINS, SO I, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT TELL EVERYONE LISTENING. AND IN THIS COUNCIL AND ON THOSE SCREENS THAT WITHOUT THE WORK OF THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS AND AREA COMMUNITY MINISTRIES AND THE METROPOLITAN HOUSING COALITION AND THE HEALTH CENTERS, THE FAMILY HEALTH CENTERS AND ALL OF THE WORK THAT WAS DONE DURING THE PANDEMIC. WHEN WE FIRST HIT THE PANDEMIC, THOSE PEOPLE CAME TOGETHER.
EVERYBODY THAT NEEDED TO BE AT THE TABLE, TO FIGURE OUT EVERYBODY THAT WANTED TO BE AT THE TABLE, NOT NEEDED. EVERYBODY THAT WANTED TO BE AT THE TABLE CAME TOGETHER. AND SO ALL OF THESE IDEAS WERE GENERATED OVER A COUPLE YEARS OF THIS WEEKLY AND THEN BI WEEKLY MEETINGS, REALLY HEADED UP BY GEORGE ECKLUND AT THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS. AND, SO LAST YEAR, WHEN WE GOT OUR REALLOCATION OR TWO YEARS AGO WHEN WE GOT THE REALLOCATION OF ERAP FUNDS, KUDOS TO LOUISVILLE. WE'RE THE ONLY CITY IN THE COUNTRY THAT GOT TWO REALLOCATIONS OF ERAP TWO MONEY FOR DOING SO WELL, EXPENDING OUR MONEY. SO WHEN WE GOT THAT SECOND REALLOCATION, WE THOUGHT, WE REALLY NEED TO DO SOMETHING PREVENTATIVE. AND SO THE MONEY THAT WE'RE USING NOW IS PART OF THAT SECOND REALLOCATION. WE LAUNCHED THE MEDIATION PROGRAM LAST, JULY OR AUGUST. WE PUT IT OUT UNDER AN RFQ, WE HAD ONE RESPONSE FROM THIS, MEDIATOR COMPANY, AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM FOR THE LAST YEAR. AND A HALF. THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING IN COURTS. I WANT TO SAY OCTOBER, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER. SO OCTOBER WAS THEIR FIRST MONTH IN THE COURT SYSTEM. SO THEY'VE BEEN THERE NINE MONTHS AT THIS POINT, AND THEN THE EVICTION PREVENTION
[01:30:03]
WORK FROM AREA COMMUNITY MINISTRIES, THEY ARE DOING THAT WORK NOW. IF YOU NEED RENTAL ASSISTANCE RIGHT NOW AND YOU CANNOT GET IT, YOU CAN GO TO BECAUSE THERE ISN'T ANY OF IT, YOU KNOW, THERE LIKE THE, THE, THE, RESILIENCE AND COMMUNITY SERVICES. THEIR APPOINTMENTS ARE FULL. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GO TO THE AREA COMMUNITY MINISTRIES AND THEY ARE PROVIDING THOSE HOUSING STABILITY SERVICES RIGHT NOW JUST THROUGH THEIR OWN DOLLARS. AND SO OUR MONEY THAT WE ARE GIVING THEM IS TO HELP THEM LAUNCH A BROADER PROGRAM, BROADER CAMPAIGN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REACH AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN. BECAUSE REMEMBER, THOSE AREA COMMUNITY MINISTRIES ARE ALL OVER THE CITY. THEY'RE FROM THE WEST END TO THE EAST END, FROM THE DOWNTOWN TO THE FAR SOUTH END. SO THERE'S I THINK 13 OF THEM, AND THEY ARE OUT THERE. SO, SO THAT WORK, ALL OF IT CAME OUT OF THIS GROUP AND, WE FINALLY WERE ABLE TO, TO HAVE MONEY TO PUT IT INTO ACTION. AND IT'S, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE MONEY TO PUT THINGS INTO ACTION. THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF MONEY.THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN PARISH. RIGHT. THANK YOU, I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN THE SERVICE LEVEL CHANGES. AND WITH THE REORGANIZATIONS, AND I JUST CONFIRMED WITH COUNCILMAN ARTHUR THAT IT LOOKS LIKE LEGAL AID IS A PART OF THE RCS BUDGET. YES, I JUST WANT TO KNOW, HOW WERE THE ORGANIZATIONS SELECTED TO BE REDUCED OR ELIMINATED? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THESE ORGANIZATIONS RESIST, EXIST BECAUSE OF THE GAP IN SERVICES AND CARE. THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE THAT WILL NEVER COME ACROSS THESE SERVICE BASED ORGANIZATIONS JUST BECAUSE SOME OF THEM DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, OR THEY'RE PAYING 60 TO 70% OF THEIR INCOME TOWARDS RENT, AND NOT JUST BECAUSE OF PERSONAL FAILINGS AND BAD CHOICES. THE JOB MARKET AND THE RISING COST AND THE WAGES DON'T MATCH THE REAL ESTATE. THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS WHY PEOPLE ARE ALMOST UNHOUSED OR HOUSE POOR, IS WHAT WE CALL IT, AND ARE STRUGGLING. AND SO THESE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE STEPPED IN TO HELP IN SO MANY WAYS. AND SO WHEN YOU CUT THOSE, THERE IS A, YOU KNOW, THIS WE'VE TALKED IT'S A FINANCIAL IMPACT AND THAT THEY HAVE ON THE COMMUNITY. AND ON ONE HAND WE SAY WE WANT THE MOST SAFE, SAFEST, BEST COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE CAN SURVIVE AND THRIVE. AND ON THE OTHER HAND, WE GOT MEANINGFUL THINGS AND WE HAVE BUSINESSES AND DEVELOPERS AND CORPORATIONS. WE'RE WILLING TO GIVE SUBSIDIES. IT'S STILL A SUBSIDY, WHETHER IT'S ON THE BACK END OR THE FRONT END. WE GIVE IT TO THE PEOPLE ON THE FRONT END THROUGH THE WORK OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS. SO I WANTED MY QUESTION IS HOW HOW WERE THESE DECISIONS MADE? I'VE TALKED TO YOU. I KNOW HOW MUCH YOU CARE ABOUT THESE, AND I KNOW THAT THESE DECISIONS WEREN'T EASY, BUT BECAUSE OUR OFFICES WILL BE DEALING. I JUST MET WITH A BUNCH OF URBAN FARMERS WHO ARE HELPING ALL OF THESE, DOING SOME PLOTS AND LANDS AND DOING SOIL AND WATER, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE EXTENSION PROGRAMS. THESE ARE VITAL PROGRAMS THAT DEAL WITH FOOD JUSTICE, FOOD INSECURITY, THAT DEAL WITH HOUSING, THAT THAT TOUCH OUR IMMIGRANT AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES. IT'S NOT JUST THE POOR PEOPLE IN THE WEST END. THESE PROGRAMS IMPACT PEOPLE ALL OVER OUR COUNTY, AND THAT NO GIVEN POINT ARE WE DEALING WITH EVERYONE THAT IS DEALING WITH THESE STRUGGLES. PEOPLE LEARN ABOUT THIS WHEN THEY ABOUT TO BOTTOM OUT. SO HOW WERE THESE DECISIONS MADE? SO WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT, AND I THINK YOU'VE HEARD MULTIPLE DIRECTORS SIT UP HERE AND SAY, THE MAYOR HAD TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS BASED ON, PROVIDING CERTAIN SERVICES. FIRE, EMS, ALL OF THOSE POLICE, AND SO AT SOME POINT, THOSE DECISIONS WERE MADE BY THE ADMINISTRATION. AND THEY ARE TOUGH DECISIONS. NOBODY LIKES TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. I KNOW THAT THAT, YOU ARE RIGHT. I CARE VERY MUCH ABOUT ALL OF THESE AGENCIES THAT WE WORK WITH AND WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO FUND EVERYBODY IF WE HAD THE MONEY. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO THE FINANCIAL LIMITATIONS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW WITH RENEGOTIATING CONTRACTS AND ALL OF THAT, THOSE DECISIONS WERE MADE AND BASICALLY IT WAS EXTERNAL AGENCIES. EXTERNAL AGENCIES, ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY EXTERNAL AGENCIES ACROSS THE BOARD, TOOK THE TOOK THE HIT, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD. AND IT'S NOT FUN AND IT'S NOT THAT IT'S NOT PLEASANT AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S HARD FOR EVERYBODY, BUT AGAIN, OUR OFFICE WILL CONTINUE TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP THOSE AGENCIES, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SUPPORT THEM IF THEY FIND GRANT FUNDING THAT NEEDS SUPPORT OR LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM THE CITY. WE VALUE THOSE RELATIONSHIP TIPS VERY, VERY MUCH. I COULDN'T DO MY JOB IF IT WAS NOT FOR ALL OF THOSE AGENCIES AND RELATIONSHIPS. SO THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THAT.
AND MY FOLLOW UP IS LAST WEEK. ON THURSDAY, WE HEARD AND I'M REALLY THANKFUL FOR OUR CHAIR
[01:35:01]
AND HEARING ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS AND THE GROUPS TALK ABOUT FUNDING AND THE WORK AND NOT BEING ABLE TO RECEIVE THE FUNDING. BESIDES A FEW THAT WERE ASKING FOR $1 MILLION. ALL OF THOSE COULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED WITH JUST UNDER $5 MILLION. I EMAILED THE MAYOR AND THE ADMINISTRATOR ABOUT WAYS TO USE FUNDING THAT WAS NOT BEING USED BY THE POLICE AND OTHER, OTHER THINGS. AND I REALLY, AS A GRANDMOTHER, SUPPORT THE THRIVE PROGRAM AND ALL OF THAT. BUT IN THIS PROPOSAL, IT'S TO START TWO NEW NONPROFITS WITH FUNDING. BUT WE HAD A COUNTLESS AMOUNT, AT LEAST 20 OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN BE FUNDED WITH UNDER THE, WITH UNDER 5 MILLION AND NOT CREATING AND PUTTING IT JUST FEELS LIKE WE'RE ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL. MY, MY QUESTION TO YOU IS WHEN THESE SUGGESTIONS ARE BEING MADE, HOW MUCH SAY, DO YOU HAVE? LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, WHAT SPECIFICALLY IS BEING CUT FROM THE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, YOUR OPERATING BUDGET? HOW MUCH SAY DO YOU HAVE IN THAT? WERE YOU GIVEN THIS OR DID YOU ALL HAVE ANY COUNTERS TO SOME OF THIS? YEAH, I'M GOING TO LET ANGIE. SURE. SO IN TERMS OF THE SAVINGS THAT WAS REQUESTED FROM EACH AGENCY, IT AVERAGED OUT TO A 1% CUT. GENERALLY SPEAKING, FOR MOST AGENCIES FOR HOUSING, IT WAS $238,000, AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, EACH AGENCY THAT WE DID NOT PICK FOR THEM WHERE TO TAKE THOSE CUTS, IT WAS A PERCENTAGE JUST OFF THE TOP OF, WE CALCULATED WHAT THE BUDGET WOULD BE, TAKING IN, CURRENT YEAR BUDGET PROJECTIONS FOR 25. AND THEN WE SAID, OKAY, SO THIS WOULD BE YOUR NEW NUMBER. NOW WE'RE GOING TO ASK YOU TO TAKE A APPROXIMATELY 1% FROM THAT AND LOOK FOR YOUR, YOUR LEAST NECESSARY SPENDING. SO ESSENTIALLY ASK THEM TO LOOK FOR SAVINGS OPPORTUNITIES, WITHIN THAT BUDGET. SO, THAT WAS HOW THAT WAS PUT TO THEM. AND THEN WE LEFT IT AT THE AGENCY'S DISCRETION TO IDENTIFY WHERE THEY COULD ABSORB THAT SAVINGS OR WHERE THEY COULD FIND THAT SAVINGS. MR. CHAIRMAN, CERTAINLY. THANK YOU VERY OPERATIONS AND BUDGET. I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS ONE OTHER THING YOU SAID, COUNCILWOMAN, AT THE REGIONAL MEETING THAT WE HAD THAT YOUR STAFF ATTENDED ON YOUR BEHALF LAST WEEK, WE HAD A VERY ROBUST DISCUSSION AROUND THAT. I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW WE HAVE YOUR EMAIL. WE ALL HAD IT. AND THE MAYOR IS TAKING ALL THAT UNDER ADVISEMENT. COUNCILMAN ARTHUR. THANK YOU. CHAIR. SO I HEARD THE TALK ABOUT THE HALF A MILLION THAT'S LEFT FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE. BUT I DIDN'T HEAR ABOUT WHAT'S PROPOSED IN THE BUDGET, WHETHER IT'S HERE OR WITH OTHER AGENCIES THAT HAVE POINTED TO YOUR AGENCY SAYING, ASK THEM ABOUT RENTAL ASSISTANCE. CAN YOU JUST CLARIFY WHAT IS PROPOSED? I BELIEVE THAT, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN ARTHUR, I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE JUST AT $1 MILLION THROUGH, DIRECT RENTAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH RCS AND THE. THERE ARE, HOPE PROGRAM. AND THEN THERE HOUSING STABILITY. THEY HAVE, I THINK 300,000 IN GENERAL FUNDS FOR LEGAL AID SERVICES. RIGHT TO COUNSEL. BUT THAT IS THE EXTENT OF WHAT WE HAVE. AND THAT'S ACROSS ALL AGENCIES, BOTH GOVERNMENT AND NON-GOVERNMENT. I CAN'T ANSWER NON-GOVERNANCE, BUT I CAN ONLY ANSWER FOR THE OFFICE OF HOUSING. AND THEN THE RESEARCH I DID WITH RCS. AND SO THAT IS THE AMOUNT. THANK YOU. AND FOR THE RCS FUNDING WITH LEGAL AID RIGHT TO COUNSEL SPECIFICALLY, DID YOU CONSULT WITH THEM ON THAT NUMBER? BECAUSE I KNOW THEY MENTIONED 300,000, BUT LEGAL AID IS SAYING THEY BILLED FOR 500,000. AND I JUST WANT TO KNOW THAT WASN'T AN OVERSIGHT LIKE WE'VE HEARD BEFORE ON OTHER ITEMS, I AM AWARE THAT LEGAL AID HAS REQUESTED 500,000, BUT I BELIEVE 300,000 WAS ALL THAT WAS AVAILABLE. THANK YOU. NO ONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND WE DID FINISH AT 659. EVEN THOUGH WE GOT STARTED A LITTLE LATE. OH YES. WE DIDN'T YET. OKAY SO REMEMBER, OUR NEXT HEARINGS ARE MONDAY, JUNE 3RD, 4:00 IS PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS. 5:00 IS TECHNOLOGY 6:00 OFFICE OF PHILANTHROPY. SEE YOU THEN. IF NOT BEFORE. WE ARE ADJOURNED.* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.