FY 2026-27 BASE BUDGET
TRANSFER REQUEST – PROGRAM CHANGE FORM
PROGRAM: Community Development Department
REQUEST TITLE: Reallocate Funding for Objective Design Standards (Zoning) to the Housing Action Fund
Request Summary (select one):
Service Category (select one):
This request is for a $85,000 reduction from non-reimbursable contractual services through deferral of the Objective Design Standards (ODS) project to a future fiscal year. The project is part of Housing Element program Zoning Modernization and Streamlining (HE-I-2), to establish a set of objective design and development standards tailored to multi-unit residential and residential mixed-use developments. A consultant would be required to lead community engagement, develop draft and final standards through a structured public review process, and support CEQA coordination (if required) and adoption over a 9- month timeline at a one-time cost of $85,000 from the General Fund.
Impact of Change
State housing law requires that cities apply only objective standards when reviewing housing development projects. Without adopted Objective Design Standards, the City lacks clear, defensible criteria for evaluating multi-unit residential and mixed-use residential projects, limiting the City's ability to shape development outcomes. However, state law does not require that local jurisdictions adopt ODS.
The Housing Element identifies ODS as a program commitment under Zoning Modernization and Streamlining Program (HE-I-2.3). Overall progress on HE-I-2 is likely to be monitored by the Department of Housing and Community Development, which is why ODS has been separated from other, mandated portions of the Zoning Modernization project for independent consideration. While ODS is not strictly mandated, it does directly support the City's ability to enforce design expectations on housing projects.
Deferral increases the risk of inconsistent project review, which potentially increases legal exposure on housing applications in the interim.
Alternatives
The City could attempt to develop ODS in-house without consultant support. In-house development is likely not feasible given current staff capacity and the specialized expertise required. As noted above, ODS have been intentionally separated from the Zoning Modernization project for independent consideration, as it is not strictly mandated but directly supports the City's ability to enforce design expectations on housing projects.
Cost Summary
Line Item Description
From Org
Code
(Fund+Div)
From
ObjectProjectFrom
Amount
To Org Code
(Fund+Div)
To
ObjectProjectTo
Amount
Contractual Services 101311 51206 (85,000)
Contractual Services 221100 51206 85,000
Total Transfers $ (85,000) $ 85,000
Priority Tracking Council Strategic Goal
Department Priority
(based on number of forms, 1 being the highest priority) 6 Enhance Organizational & Fiscal Stability ☒
City Manager Category 1 Improve / steward City infrastructure, streets and facilities
☐
Council Action Prioritize protection and development of affordable housing
☐
Council Accepted Pursue climate change adaptation and mitigation. ☐ Council Rejected Broaden public communications and collaboration ☐ ☐ Ongoing (Annual) ☒ One-time
☐ Legally
Mandated
☐ Core
Services
☒ Service
Enhancement
FY 2026-27 BASE BUDGET
TRANSFER REQUEST – PROGRAM CHANGE FORM
PROGRAM: Police Department
REQUEST TITLE: Transfer Police Department employee wellness funding to the Self-Insurance Workers’ Compensation Fund
Request Summary (select one):
Service Category (select one):
The proposed budget amendment would reallocate $34,686 from the Police Department Employee Wellness account to the Self-Insurance Workers’ Compensation Account beginning in FY 2026–27 and continuing for one fiscal year. This transfer would maintain critical employee wellness initiatives designed to reduce physical and mental industrial injuries, mitigate workers’ compensation claims and associated costs, improve employee resiliency and retention, and support the long-term health and wellness of police department personnel.
Factors Driving the Request for Change
Increased Physical and Mental Health Industrial Injury Claims:
The Pacifica Police Department has experienced an increase in workers’ compensation claims involving both PTSD and physical industrial injuries. Policing is an inherently stressful profession characterized by long shifts, mandatory overtime, sleep disruption, exposure to traumatic incidents, violent encounters, physically demanding duties, and frequent interactions with individuals experiencing mental health crises.
These cumulative stressors place employees at elevated risk for both psychological and physical injuries.
The department has seen an increase in industrial injury claims involving PTSD, stress-related illnesses, orthopedic injuries, repetitive strain injuries, and other physical ailments associated with the demands of law enforcement work. Physical injuries related to prolonged wearing of duty equipment, repetitive movements, vehicle operations, defensive tactics, and extended periods of standing or sitting continue to contribute to workers’ compensation exposure and lost work time.
The approved wellness expenditures are intended to reduce workers’ compensation exposure by improving employee physical and mental wellness, reducing stress and fatigue, supporting recovery and resiliency, and promoting early intervention before injuries or stress-related conditions escalate into more serious industrial claims.
Risk Reduction and Injury Prevention:
The approved wellness expenditures are specifically intended to reduce industrial injuries and associated workers’ compensation costs through preventative health and wellness strategies focused on stress reduction, resiliency, injury prevention, recovery, and physical fitness.
Priority Tracking Council Strategic Goal
Department Priority
(based on number of forms, 1 being the highest priority) 5 Enhance Organizational & Fiscal Stability ☒
City Manager Category 1 Improve / steward City infrastructure, streets and facilities ☐ Council Action Prioritize protection and development of affordable housing
☐
Council Accepted Pursue climate change adaptation and mitigation. ☐ Council Rejected Broaden public communications and collaboration ☐ ☐ On-going (Annual) ☒ One-time
☐ Legally
Mandated
☐ Core
Services
☒ Service
Enhancement
FY 2026-27 Base Budget Transfer Request Page 2 of 3
Approved uses of the Employee Wellness program include:
Certified mindfulness and resiliency training
Physical fitness and injury prevention initiatives
Peer support and stress management resources
Access to the Cordico wellness mobile application
Recovery and wellness equipment, including massage therapy and recovery tools These resources are intended to:
Reduce stress and anxiety associated with cumulative trauma exposure Improve emotional regulation and resilience under stress Reduce fatigue and sleep-related impairment
Improve physical recovery from prolonged wearing of police equipment and repetitive strain injuries Reduce musculoskeletal injuries and chronic pain
Promote early intervention and peer support for mental health concerns Improve overall physical readiness and long-term employee wellness Research and industry best practices increasingly support proactive wellness programs as an effective strategy for reducing industrial injuries, sick leave usage, burnout, and workers’ compensation claims among public safety personnel.
Employee Retention and Workforce Stability
The Police Department continues to face staffing shortages, mandatory overtime demands, and recruitment and retention challenges. Wellness initiatives support employee morale, resiliency, and organizational support systems, which are increasingly important factors in employee retention and workforce stability.
Impact of Change
Operational Impact
Approval of this request would allow the continuation of employee wellness initiatives specifically designed to reduce physical and mental industrial injuries and associated workers’ compensation exposure.
The proposed funding transfer would support programs and equipment focused on injury prevention, stress reduction, resiliency, recovery, and employee mental health support. These efforts are intended to improve employee wellness while reducing lost work time, industrial injury claims, absenteeism, and longterm disability exposure.
Direct and Indirect Impact to the General Fund and Community The direct fiscal impact is budget neutral as funds would be reallocated from the Employee Wellness account to the Self-Insurance Workers’ Compensation Account (666211-52033).
Indirect financial benefits may include reduced workers’ compensation costs, lower industrial injury exposure, reduced overtime costs associated with backfilling injured employees, improved employee retention, and reduced long-term disability and medical claim expenditures.
Additional indirect benefits to the community may include improved employee wellness, increased workforce stability, enhanced employee performance, improved decision-making under stress, and a higher level of service delivery to the community.
FY 2026-27 Base Budget Transfer Request Page 3 of 3
Alternatives
Eliminating or reducing wellness-related expenditures and absorbing increased workers’ compensation exposure and associated costs.
Limiting wellness initiatives to existing Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services, which have historically proven insufficient to fully address the unique mental and physical stressors associated with law enforcement professions.
Line Item Description
From Org
Code
(Fund+Div)
From
ObjectProject
From
Amount
To Org Code
(Fund+Div)
To
ObjectProject
To
Amount
EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM 101211 52033 (34,686)
EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM 666211 52033 34,686
Total Transfers $ (34,686) $ 34,686
FY 2026-27 BASE BUDGET
TRANSFER REQUEST – PROGRAM CHANGE FORM
PROGRAM: Administrative Services – Human Resources
REQUEST TITLE: Transfer Employee Wellness/Recognition Budget to Risk Management Fund Request Summary (select one):
Service Category (select one):
Request Summary
This request proposes transferring funding associated with employee wellness initiatives from the standalone Employee Wellness/Recognition budget line within the General Fund 101 to the Self-Insurance Workers’ Compensation Fund 666 budget beginning in FY 2026-27. The City’s wellness platform and related wellness expenditures are already operationally tied to the Workers’ Compensation program through existing premium-related charges and employee well-being initiatives.
This change is intended to better align budgeted expenditures with the operational funding source currently supporting the wellness platform while streamlining budget administration and consolidating related expenditures within the Workers’ Compensation program. The transfer would maintain the City’s ability to continue supporting employee wellness initiatives without reducing services or programming.
Impact of Change
The proposed transfer is not anticipated to negatively impact employee wellness programming or related operations. Wellness initiatives would continue to be supported through the Workers’ Compensation budget, which already funds the City’s wellness platform and related premium-based expenditures connected to employee health, safety, and injury prevention efforts.
This adjustment improves alignment between the operational purpose of the expenditures and the funding source being utilized. Consolidating wellness-related costs within the Workers’ Compensation budget may also improve administrative efficiency, budget tracking, and expenditure consistency.
The impact of this change would be measured through the City’s continued ability to maintain wellnessrelated initiatives and employee support efforts without operational disruption or the need for additional appropriations. Existing workers’ compensation and wellness program outcomes can continue to be monitored through current operational and reporting practices.
The direct impact to the General Fund is the transfer of wellness-related appropriations to the Workers’ Compensation funding structure. Indirectly, the City would continue supporting employee wellness efforts that contribute to workforce engagement, injury prevention, and overall organizational effectiveness.
Priority Tracking Council Strategic Goal
Department Priority
(based on number of forms, 1 being the highest priority) 4 Enhance Organizational & Fiscal Stability ☒
City Manager Category 2 Improve / steward City infrastructure, streets and facilities ☐ Council Action Prioritize protection and development of affordable housing
☐
Council Accepted Pursue climate change adaptation and mitigation. ☐ Council Rejected Broaden public communications and collaboration ☐ ☐ On-going (Annual) ☒ One-time
☐ Legally
Mandated
☒ Core
Services
☐ Service
Enhancement
FY 2026-27 Base Budget Transfer Request Page 2 of 2
Alternatives
One alternative would be to maintain the existing standalone Employee Wellness/Recognition budget line within the General Fund. Another alternative would be to partially fund wellness expenditures through both the General Fund and Workers’ Compensation budget lines. However, transferring the funding fully to the Workers’ Compensation budget is viewed as the most operationally aligned and administratively efficient approach given that the wellness platform and related expenditures are already associated with the Workers’ Compensation program.
Cost Summary
The proposed change would transfer funding previously budgeted within the standalone Employee Wellness/Recognition budget line to the Workers’ Compensation budget for FY 2026-27. Wellness-related expenditures would continue to be supported through the existing Workers’ Compensation appropriation structure where the wellness platform premium costs are currently charged.
Compared to current budgeting practices, this approach better aligns operational expenditures with the appropriate funding source and reduces the number of separate appropriations supporting related activities. No additional General Fund appropriation is requested as part of this change.
The specific FY 2026-27 line items affected include:
• Transfer/reduction of the Employee Wellness/Recognition budget line within the General Fund. • Continued utilization of the Workers’ Compensation budget line for wellness platform expenditures and eligible wellness-related initiatives tied to safety, injury prevention, and employee well-being efforts.
Line Item Description
From Org Code
(Fund+Div)
From
Object-Project
From
Amount
To Org Code
(Fund+Div)
To
ObjectProject
To
Amount
Employee
Wellness/Recognition 101160 52011 (33,495)
Insurance/Worker's
Comp 667190 52016 33,495
Total Transfers $ (33,495) $ 33,495
FY 2026-27 BASE BUDGET
TRANSFER REQUEST – PROGRAM CHANGE FORM
PROGRAM: Police Department
REQUEST TITLE: Transfer salaries and benefits costs for a Community Services Officer position to Supplemental Law Enforcement Grant Fund
Request Summary (select one):
Service Category (select one):
Summary
The Police Department requests approval to permanently transfer one part-time Community Service Officer (CSO) position from the General Fund to the Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund (Grant Fund 207) and establish the position as an ongoing grant-funded position within position control. This funding change would offset approximately $38,300 in annual General Fund expenditures while maintaining existing service levels and preserving critical community service functions.
The Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund was established to support front-line public safety services and community-oriented policing efforts. The duties performed by the Community Service Officer align with the fund's intended purpose by enhancing public safety, supporting quality-of-life initiatives, and allowing sworn personnel to remain focused on higher-priority law enforcement responsibilities.
Impact to Program or Operations:
This proposal does not eliminate a position or reduce staffing levels. Rather, it changes the funding source supporting an existing part-time Community Service Officer position from the General Fund to Grant Fund 207.
The Community Service Officer will continue performing existing responsibilities, including responding to non-hazardous service calls, parking enforcement, abandoned vehicle investigations, homeless outreach coordination, traffic control, crime scene support, report taking, and other community service functions that contribute to public safety and quality of life.
Maintaining this position allows sworn officers to remain focused on duties requiring peace officer authority while improving overall operational efficiency and responsiveness. No operational impacts are anticipated as a result of this funding change.
Service Levels:
No reduction in service levels is anticipated. The Community Service Officer position will continue providing support services that improve operational efficiency and allow sworn officers to remain available Priority Tracking Council Strategic Goal
Department Priority
(based on number of forms, 1 being the highest priority) 4 Enhance Organizational & Fiscal Stability ☒
City Manager Category 2 Improve / steward City infrastructure, streets and facilities
☐
Council Action Prioritize protection and development of affordable housing
☐
Council Accepted Pursue climate change adaptation and mitigation. ☐ Council Rejected Broaden public communications and collaboration ☐ ☒ Ongoing (Annual) ☐ One-time
☒ Legally
Mandated
☐ Core
Services
☐ Service
Enhancement
FY 2026-27 Base Budget Transfer Request Page 2 of 2
for emergency response, criminal investigations, proactive patrol, and other core law enforcement responsibilities.
Existing services related to parking enforcement, abandoned vehicle investigations, homeless outreach, traffic control, crime scene support, and community service functions will continue at current levels.
Alternatives:
The City may elect to continue funding the part-time Community Service Officer position through the General Fund. While this option would maintain current operations, it would not achieve approximately $38,300 in annual General Fund savings associated with the proposed funding transfer.
Cost Summary:
Line Item Description
From Org
Code
(Fund+Div)
From
ObjectProjectFrom
Amount
To Org Code
(Fund+Div)
To
ObjectProjectTo
Amount
Salaries - Part-Time 101211 50101 (38,300)
Salaries - Part-Time 207211 50101 38,300
Total Transfers $ (38,300) $ 38,300