1 Budget Priorities and Recommendations
Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan
Public Safety, Protecting Community, Compliance with Voter-Approved Measure.
Provide budget for the number of police and fire personnel as described in the voter-approved Safety and Services Measure NN. Provide staffing and technology for Police Evidence Technicians, crime lab, 911 dispatch. Acquire fixed-wing aircraft to more effectively and efficiently track and apprehend fleeing criminals. Strengthen CPRA and transfer duties from IAD to CPRA. Community Ambassadors to support commercial corridors.
Youth Programs – Including Town Camp, Summer and After School, Jobs.
Seek additional funders, sponsors, participants and donors to support Town Camp and Youth Jobs programs. Consider more sliding scale fees to preserve programs (with lower fees based on need, rather than for everyone). Expand summer jobs program and connect to programs to improve cleanliness of city, improve parks and other public spaces.
Making Sure 2025 Bond Issuance Happens, CIP Projects.
Avoid the need to cut other services to fund capital projects, by ensuring appropriate capital projects funded by bonds. Prevent further costly deterioration to public infrastructure, streets, sidewalks. Repair pools, improve efficient lighting, provide for clean and effective vehicle fleet, improve public facilities.
Comply with Council-approved Resolution to initiate 2025 bond issuance.
More Efficient Delivery of Public Services to Reduce Blight, Remove Abandoned Vehicles, Clear the Public Right of Way, Attract Residents and Customers • Surge staffing of personnel (including overtime/weekends) to remove backlog of abandoned autos. Reduce blight, reduce stolen vehicles and reduce crimes committed with such vehicles.
• Ensure abandoned auto removal and tracking contract is implemented. • Use more efficient, pro-active, zone-based illegal dumping response. • Pro-active, efficient sidewalk repair to prevent injuries and liabilities, repair entire areas at once, include billing other parties as appropriate for cost recovery.
• Traffic safety and pedestrian safety including through pro-active pothole repair, bollards and speed bumps, lighting (including solar where viable). • Coordinated fleet vehicle maintenance and replacement via OakDOT/OPW with clear funding strategy.
2 Improve Revenues to Support Vital Services, Provide Accountability:
Use available Development Services Funds for surge/overtime to clear backlog of permit/applications to allow businesses to open, allow development to happen. Expand hours and response for permit applications.
Business attraction and retention.
Improving revenue from parking control, including in garages, evenings, billing for abandoned auto fees. Ensure tow company compliance and proper payments.
Remove abandoned vehicles before they are burned out, broken, etc. to improve cost recovery and reduce harm to community.
Increasing revenue from collecting from non-registered, non-paying businesses.
Implement appropriate tracking and oversight systems to avoid over- payments.
Remove duplicative insurance contracts, provide better utilization and tracking of city-owned properties that are, or can be, leased and utilized to generate revenue.