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MEETING MINUTES OF THE
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE
AND MEETING OF THE WHOLE
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2023
The Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee Meeting was held in a hybrid format, in the Council Chambers and from remote locations. The meeting convened at 1:34 p.m.
Present: Councilmembers - Jimenez, Doan, Kamei, Torres, Batra.
Absent: Councilmembers - All present.
Staff:
Assistant City Manager, Lee Wilcox; Senior Deputy City Attorney, Terra Chaffee; Council Policy and Legislative Director, Mayor’s Office, Sara Garcia; and Deputy City Clerk, Yasmin Johnson.
B. Review of Work Plan
1. Committee Work Plan for January 2023 to June 2023
No action taken.
2. City of San José Disaster Resiliency Annual Report.
DROPPED AS DIRECTED BY THE JOINT MEETING FOR THE RULES AND OPEN
GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE AND COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE ON
FEBRUARY 15, 2023, AGENDA ITEM B.2.
C. Consent Calendar
1. Third Quarter Financial Reports for Fiscal Year 2022-2023.
Public Comments: (Zoom speaker) Paul Soto and Blair Beekman provided public testimony regarding the item.
Motion: Upon motion by Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei, seconded by Councilmember Arjun Batra and carried unanimously, the Third Quarter (period ending March 31, 2023) Financial Reports for the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 for the following areas: (1) Debt (Item Continued on the Next Page)
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C.1 (Cont’d.)
Management; (2) Investment Management; (3) Revenue Management; (4) Purchasing and Risk Management were accepted and cross-referenced to the full City Council for approval at the June 6, 2023 City Council Meeting. (4-0-1. Absent: Torres.)
D. Reports to Committee
1. Employee Travel Expenses Audit Report.
City Auditor, Joe Rois; Program Performance Auditor II, Auditor’s Office, Ebele Obi; Program Performance Auditor I, Auditor’s Office, Adrian Perez; and Finance Director, Rick Bruneau offered the presentation and responded to questions.
Public Comments: (Zoom speakers) Paul Soto, Kathryn Hedges (SURJ), and Blair Beekman provided public testimony regarding the item.
Action: Upon motion by Councilmember Arjun Batra, seconded by Councilmember Omar Torres and carried unanimously, the Committee accepted the report on the audit of employee travel expenses and cross-referenced the audit report to the full Council for approval at the June 6, 2023 City Council Meeting. (5-0.)
2. Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention Strategies Status Report.
Director, Employee Relations, Human Resources Department, Jennifer Schembri; Assistant Director, Human Resources Department, Kelli Parmley; and Assistant to the City Manager, Demetria Machado offered the presentation and responded to questions.
Public Comments: (Zoom speakers) Paul Soto, Kathryn Hedges (SURJ), and Blair Beekman offered public comment regarding the item.
Councilmember Sergio Jimenez suggested that employment advertisements also be displayed on the San José Mineta International Airport screens the City currently has an agreement with and requested current information regarding City referral incentives being offered to employees.
Motion: Councilmember Omar Torres moved acceptance of the status report on recruitment, hiring and retention strategies. The motion was seconded by Councilmember Bien Doan.
Friendly Amendment: Councilmember Arjun Batra requested that all future reports update the table on pg. 3 to reflect the number of people who have retired that month and the number of people who’ve left for other reasons as part of the motion. The friendly amendment was accepted by the maker of the motion and seconder. (Item Continued on the Next Page)
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D.2 (Cont’d.)
Action: On a call for question, the motion passed unanimously, including the friendly amendment, the Committee accepted the status report on recruitment, hiring and retention strategies; and that all future reports update the table on pg. 3 to reflect the number of people who have retired that month and the number of people who’ve left for other reasons. (5-0.)
Councilmember Arjun Batra submitted a verbal vote of yes for the item.
3. Military Equipment Annual Report.
Lieutenant, San José Police Department, Paul Hamblin and Assistant to the City Manager, Office of the City Manager, Peter Ortiz Hamilton offered the presentation and responded to questions.
Public Comments: (Zoom speakers) Blair Beekman, Kathryn Hedges (SURJ), Paul Soto, Poncho Guevara, and Sandra Asher offered public comment regarding the item.
Councilmember Sergio Jimenez requested that a “Referral Date” column be added to the existing “Attachment A: Recommendations List” for the item but not as part of the motion. Staff stated the request was feasible.
Action: Upon motion by Councilmember Omar Torres, seconded by Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei and carried unanimously, the Committee accepted the status report on the recommendations for reform and operational improvement being tracked by the Police Department and cross-referenced the item to the full Council at an August City Council Meeting (specific date not specified on the record). (5-0.)
OPEN FORUM
1. Paul Soto spoke to his concerns with SJPD as a whole for their lack of knowledge regarding the SJPOA’s Union Executive Directors charges regarding fentanyl drugs.
2. Blair Beekman spoke to the peer review program regarding domestic violence, police practices, and oversight.
3. Kathryn Hedges spoke to her concerns with the fentanyl scandal within SJPD.
ADJOURNMENT
Councilmember Sergio Jimenez adjourned the Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee Meeting at 3:51 p.m.
Minutes Recorded, Prepared and Respectfully Submitted by, DRAFT
_____________________________
Yasmin Johnson
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Deputy City Clerk, City of San José
Approved at Council on:
Attest By:
_____________________________
Toni J. Taber, CMC
City Clerk, City of San José