SPECIAL MEETING: 02/28/23
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR FROM: Councilmember Peter Ortiz
AND CITY COUNCIL
DATE: February 27th, 2023
Approved: Date: 2/27/2023
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE FISCAL YEAR 2023-2024 CITY COUNCIL PRIORITY-SETTING SESSION #2 – ADMINISTRATION REPORT
RECOMMENDATION
1. Accept the staff report and add the following as additional Focus Areas for FY 23/24 budget.
a. Staff should return to the appropriate Council committee with proposed success metrics for these additional Focus Areas for approval:
i. Citywide Hiring
ii. Vision Zero Traffic Safety and Workplan
iii. Children and Youth Services Master Plan
2. Direct staff to continue urgent, important and continuing work in the City Services Areas outlined in the staff report in the FY23-24 Budget Process.
3. Direct the City Manager’s Office to return to the Rules and Open Government Committee with an update on how they will determine the feasibility of proposed new policy work that comes before the Committee.
DISCUSSION
I share my thanks to City Staff for producing the staff report and enlightening this new process, which admittedly has been challenging to follow. For existing Councilmembers as well as those who have watched the City Priority Setting process in past Councils, this year’s process is a departure.
Since 2011, the City Council has regularly held priority-setting sessions to designate high priority ordinances and policy initiatives. The goal of the Council Policy Priority Setting process is to allow the Administration to focus limited staff resources on initiatives that Council identifies as the highest priorities and for the Council opportunity to create a shared set of priorities for the organization.
Historically there have been formal opportunities for individual Councilmembers to propose priorities they believe would be best for their Districts and the City as a whole. For example, the 2020-2021 Council Priority Setting process provided Policy Nomination Forms, which the Mayor and Councilmembers could use to bring forward priorities for consideration.
This year, that opportunity was constrained, and Councilmembers so far have only been allowed to make recommendations within the areas identified by the Mayor and his Transition structure.
Three areas deserve additional investment as we head toward the FY23/24 Budget:
1. Citywide Hiring:
a. We have enormous financial needs to take action to fill near 1,000 unfilled Citywide vacancies that continue to have dire impacts on our neighborhoods and families. Until we hire for these already funded positions the construction of affordable housing will continue to grind to a halt, public safety response rates will continue to climb, and our neighborhoods will miss out on the essential services they deserve.
2. Vision Zero Traffic Safety and Workplan:
a. Without investments in Vision Zero, we will continue to see unacceptable rates of traffic deaths and severe injuries facing our children, families and neighbors and fail to create the kind of walkable communities capable of spurring development and the benefits envisioned by our General Plan.
3. Children and Youth Services Master Plan:
a. Lastly, the City of San Jose continues to lead important work supporting our working families and children through affordable childcare and after-school programming. We know this work not only helps our working families but connects our youth to opportunities that ensure their future.
Not mentioned in the Staff Memo is a clear understanding of how new policies will be evaluated in relation to their feasibility and alignment with the Council’s established priorities. For example, the past system included the “Red, Yellow, & Green Lighting” of policies as they were introduced into the Rules Committee. Staff should return with a confirmation that this will continue or if there’s the intention of revamping of this practice.
We have come too far to abandon this important work for our families and neighborhoods. I hope my Council colleagues will stand with me in affirming these critical priorities as we begin the FY23/24 Budget Process.