EAST PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
DATE: December 15, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Patrick Heisinger, Interim City Manager
BY: Patrick Heisinger, Interim City Manager
SUBJECT: Update on City Council Priorities for FY 2022-2023 Recommendation
Accept the report on the City Council’s Priorities for FY 2022-2023.
Background
On April 5, 2022, the City Council adopted a resolution that established the City Council’s priorities for FY 2022-2023 (Priorities). The chart below illustrates the City Council’s Priorities and the identified team lead responsible for implementation:
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES for FY 2022-2023
Priority Staff Lead
Promote Housing, Economic and Workforce Development Chen Implement the Comprehensive Transportation and Mobility Plan Javed Promote Public Health and Safety Various
Ensure Our Financial and Organizational Health Oku
Improve the City’s Water Infrastructure Javed
Implement the Facilities Master Plan Heisinger/Javed
Enhance Community Services and Parks Renfield
In addition to establishing the Priorities, the City Council also approved a detailed Workplan for each priority. Please see Attachment 1 to review the detailed Workplan for each priority complete with an update for each item. The text colors in the chart above correspond to the detailed Workplans for each priority shown in Attachment 1.
As part of the City Council’s actions on April 5, 2022, staff committed to providing the City Council and community with periodic updates regarding the status of the Priorities. The purpose of this staff report is to provide the first of such formal updates.
Analysis
This report provides key updates on each of the City Council’s Priorities for FY 2022-2023; key updates are identified in italics:
Promote Housing, Economic and Workforce Development
• Continue to Implement the City's Affordable Housing Strategy o Completed approval process for the Woodland Park Euclid Improvement entitlement, which included a Development Agreement and Affordable Housing Agreement requiring land donation and construction of 70-89 deed-restricted affordable housing units to be built off-site within the City. o Secured $8 million in state funds for 965 Weeks affordable housing development to cover project and infrastructure costs
o Allocated $775,215 in Measure HH funds for workforce development in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (S.T.E.M) sector and building trade living wage jobs.
o Allocated $426,788 in General Funds (Measure O) to continue anti-displacement services for East Palo Alto residents for the next two years o Completed Phase 2 of the Light Tree Apartments affordable housing project. o Extended the RV Safe Parking Overnight Program for an additional year. o Launched Master Temporary Use Permit program for temporary housing o Researched issues for the Partnership for the Bay’s Future Breakthrough Grant (TOPA/COPA).
o Continued participation in the East Palo Alto Career Center Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and Employer Advisory Committee (EAC)
o Continued collaboration with the County and service providers to address homelessness in East Palo Alto
o Launched CalHome JADU/ADU Loan Program
o Began work to further streamline the permitting process for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), including receiving City Council direction on future code amendments, process improvements, and financial incentives and continuing to collaborate with ADU Working Group.
o Submitted Draft Housing Element to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for review; HCD comments expected in January 2023 and a revised Draft Housing Element will be presented to City Council for consideration in January 2023.
Implement the Comprehensive Transportation and Mobility Plan • Develop a Comprehensive Transportation and Mobility Plan o The Mobility Study was adopted in 2020 identifying short-term, mid-term, and long-term improvements.
o The short-term strategies focused on localized measures to reduce cut-through and speed reduction, while the long-term strategies focus on planning level strategies to reduce congestion on University Avenue or reduce regional traffic through East Palo Alto streets.
o The majority of short-term improvements identified in the Mobility Study have been completed. All the improvements to be completed by Spring 2023. o Staff to begin working towards Permit Parking Program guidelines starting in Spring 2023
• Expand Bicycle/Pedestrian Facilities and Interconnectivity o The City has been working on its Annual Street Resurfacing Project, and has striped bike lanes throughout the City in accordance with its adopted Bicycle Transportation Plan as a part of this project
o AHSC funds as well as Measure A funds were utilized for bike lane striping • Begin Construction of the University Overpass Project o The City intends to bid the project and have a construction contract awarded by early March 2023.
o The construction phase is anticipated to begin in May 2023. • Investigate University Avenue Improvements/Changes
o Signage restricting turning movements on University Ave has been installed.
Promote Public Health and Safety
• Enhance flood protection for residents, businesses, and property owners o City staff is continuing to work with JPA to implement the design and permitting phase of the Safer Bay Project
o Upon completion of the design and permitting phase, the City will work with JPA to bid the construction phase of the project and seek additional funds as necessary
o City of East Palo Staff is continuing to work with the City of Palo Alto on the final construction documents of the Newell street bridge replacement project the project is currently at the 95% plan stage.
• Successfully hosted Public Safety Town Hall meeting on Cameras in the Park with majority of residents who attended supporting the City installation of cameras in the park.
• Installed temporary cameras at Jack Farrell and Martin Luther King Jr. Parks. • Police Department successfully continued public safety and support services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic including annual community engagement initiatives such as the annual Holiday season programs. The department continues to proactively hire high quality team members to fill vacant positions to increase capacity for our community, while remaining relatively COVID-19 healthy. • City continues to respond to and manage, in partnership with the County and other stakeholders, the COVID-19 Pandemic
Ensure Our Financial and Organizational Health
• Address Structural Deficit Through Fiscal Resiliency Measures o Committed $3 million for CalPERS funding plan. If Council desires, next steps will be selecting one of the provided options of the funding plan. o Adopted a General Fund Reserve Policy which provides the framework to: 1) Maintain a sound financial position through the identification, establishment and use of reasonable reserve levels, 2) Provide the flexibility to respond to changes in future service priorities, revenue levels, and operating expenses, 3) Provide consistent services in the event of disruption, such as revenue volatility, natural disasters, and unexpected critical infrastructure repair or replacement, 4) Establish target amounts or ranges of reserve levels, and 5) Set conditions for reserving, committing, or spending surplus fund reserves. o Continuing managing the lease contract with Veolia, the City’s water system operator, identifying the fiscal responsibilities between the operator and the City per the contract and ensuring the compliance with the Prop 218 process. • Develop 10 Year Financial Projections
o Begun studies and drafting an RFP to develop 10-year financial projections. • Plan and Implement an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System o The Finance Department is midway through the Enterprise Resource Program (ERP) implementation. Following the initial setup, the next phase will be staff training which will start with Finance staff. Following Citywide training, there will brief period where both the current and the future systems are used. • Focus on Staff Morale, Retention, Recruitment & Succession Planning o Decreased vacancy rate from 23% to 7%.
o Provided salary increases to all employees.
o Initiated three staff appreciation events including the upcoming City Holiday Park scheduled for Friday, December 16th.
Improve the City’s Water Infrastructure
• Improve Operations and Infrastructure of the Water System o The City recently completed its Urban Water Management Plan, Water System Master Plan, and the Asset Management Plan.
o Along with the adoption of the Water System Master Plan, the City Council appropriated over $8 million dollars in funding for water infrastructure projects. o City Council appropriated close to $1 Million to proactively design future water infrastructure projects
o City staff is continuing to work with its consultant to ensure compliance with its adopted Asset Management Plan
• Advance Key Water Infrastructure Projects
o The City completed construction of the O'Brien turnout project and is currently working with the SFPUC on finalizing agreements of the turnout. o A number of water infrastructure projects have been designed including the 12” University Ave./Cooley, 16” Purdue watermain.
o A number of water main projects are in the design phase, including the12 inch watermain on University Ave, Demeter waterline loop, Weeks Street water main o The City of East Palo Alto will continue to work with the City of Palo Alto on the water intertie at University/Woodland Avenue. This project will also include the watermain gap.
o The City will continue to review and identify potential locations for water storage especially in the Ravenswood business district.
Implement the Facilities Master Plan
• Completion of the City's Comprehensive Facilities Master Plan o The facilities plan master plan has been approved and adopted by City Council • Investigate potential options for developing county vacant property located on Beech Street
o The City and County of San Mateo are actively negotiating on a potential land swap for the property.
• Coordinate with County Library District regarding the potential new library in East Palo Alto
o Secured a Federal earmark in the amount of $1.5 M to fund initial design costs of the library.
o City Council allocated $400,000 of ARPA funds to support the design of the library.
o A RFP for Architectural services to complete the design package (plans, specifications, and estimates) will be released by the City in early 2023. o CEQA for the City’s acquisition of the site shall be completed by the end of March 2023.
o Staff expects that the City will own the site by the end of March 2023. • Develop a detailed strategy for the location of the future Police Department o Strategies for temporary Police Department will be completed by February 2023 • Complete the City Hall Tenant Improvement Project
o The City Council approved a contract amendment with the firm, Powell and Partners, Inc. to finalize the design package to improve the former Police Evidence Room only. The design change should be completed by April of 2023 at which time the project will be ready for bid.
Enhance Community Services and Parks
• Implemented and completed third consecutive year of summer programming for East Palo Alto residents. 815 residents were served from June 21-August 31 with the $154,000 that Council invested.
• Facilitated and hosted three City-sponsored events: The re-opening of the Senior Center and the City’s 39th birthday Celebration, and the Third Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony.
• Closed out final round of Measure C Funding.
• Applied and was awarded grant funding from San Mateo’s Office of Aging and Adult Services in the amount of $197,004 for the City’s Congregate Nutrition and Transportation Programs for fiscal years 2022-26.
• Resumed Senior Annual Prom (55+) after two-year suspension due to COVID-19. • Partnered with local NFL star, Davante Adams, to install Outdoor Fitness equipment in Jack Farrell Park and hosted unveiling that was well attended from the community. • Advanced the following key park initiatives:
o Parks Master Plan
▪ In process of receiving initial draft of Citywide Parks Master Plan; 90% of project complete
o Planning/design of Martin Luther King (MLK) Park
▪ 75% complete with updated design of park encompassing all recommendations that Council and city residents desired ▪ Currently in Phase 3 of 5 of the CEQA process
▪ With inclusion of Beech Street property, park expansion will grow from 4.7 to 13.89 acres
▪ Final design and CEQA shall be completed by the end of May 2023.
o Partnership with Magical Bridge Foundation
▪ Hosted several community engagement activities to determine success of full Magical Bridge at site
▪ The City Council approved the Initial site design; CEQA exemption expected to be completed by February 2023.
Priorities Yet to Be Initiated
Although significant progress has been made on many of the City Council’s priorities as outlined above and in the attachments to this staff report, there is one priority dating back to the City Council’s priorities in 2020 that has yet to see any progress.
The City Council directed staff to complete a comprehensive Information Technology (IT) Strategic Plan. To date, the Administrative Services Department has yet to initiate this priority.
It is likely that this item will be reassigned from Administrative Services to another Department or Division.
Priority Setting Process for FY 2022-2023 to Commence on January 21, 2022 In keeping with the priority setting process, the City Council already scheduled a Priority Setting Retreat for Saturday, January 21, 2022. The retreat will be held via ZOOM and is expected to run from 9 am to 1 pm.
The Retreat is a critical opportunity for the City Council to articulate their goals and objectives, and for staff to then determine the feasibility and proposed timeline for each item. In parallel with the City’s annual budget process, the priority setting process is conducted to include several discussions with City Council prior to consideration of the final recommendations in April or May 2022.
Next Steps
Staff will provide the City Council with a status update regarding all City Council priorities prior to the end of the Fiscal Year. The update will likely coincide with the Council’s approval of the 2022-2023 Council priorities in April or May 2022.
Attachments
1. Detailed Workplans for FY 2022-2023 Council Priorities with Updates