CITY OF SIMI VALLEY
MEMORANDUM
March 21, 2022
TO: City Council
FROM: Office of the City Manager
SUBJECT: DISCUSSION AND DIRECTION REGARDING CITY COUNCIL GOALS
AND PRIORITIES
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended the City Council review the information presented by staff this evening and provide further direction to staff.
BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW
The City Council had requested staff to set up a workshop to discuss goals and priorities for the near future.
Based on previous input by the City Council at the February 2019 Retreat, the City Council identified areas of interest to be addressed. City staff have continued to address the issues identified regardless of the level of priority. The following are the areas of interest identified by the City Council with a brief status of each:
1. Capital Projects – Attend to needed capital infrastructure improvements projects, budget for, and accomplish
a. Staff has worked with the City Council to establish a priority to a ddress the City’s Streets & R oads and have identified funding opportunities including ARPA funds. Staff will update the City Council on this item tonight.
2. Charter City
a. Staff provided a memo to the City Council in December 2019 with a comparison of Charter City versus General Law City
3. City Budget – More in depth review, overtime; stabilize burgeoning financial obligations (unfunded pension liabilities, legal liabilities) a. Staff has provided a more detailed and transparent Annual Budget document to the City Council for their consideration. Staff has presented a structurally balanced budget for the last three (3) years to the City Council.
Staff will update the City Council on this item tonight.
4. City Manager – identify and hire an outstanding City Manager a. The City Council hired the current City Manager in an interim role in March 2019 and a permanent role in March 2020
AGENDA ITEM NO.
8B
2 5. Development – Encourage wise development, attention to delivering affordable housing per mandate and best utilization of scarce land resources a. City staff has provided a RHNA compliant Housing Element to the State Housing and Community Development Department for their review and have worked with developers to provide affordable units. Since 2017, the City has approved over 200 affordable units. Staff will update the City Council on this item tonight.
6. Economic Development – Revenue and job producing; Attract businesses that bring good employment opportunities and increased sales tax/business tax revenue
a. Staff has engaged a consultant to prepare a n Economic Development Strategy to look at Simi Valley’s position in the region relative to the retail market as well as creating job opportunities. Staff will update the City Council on this item tonight.
7. Financial – Expense and Revenue
a. As part of the Annual Budget, staff has updated the City Council on critical elements within the Budget, provided revenue and expenditure trends, and established a structurally balanced budget. Staff will update the City Council on this item tonight.
8. Housing – Workforce and senior
a. Related to item #5 above, staff have been working with the development community to provide affordable housing opportunities and housing products that are affordable to a middle class income level. Additionally, the City has approved over 150 senior units since 2017. Home pricing today is being led by the lack of supply, pushing housing prices higher. While the City is approving housing projects, the cost of materials and lack of labor are delaying construction starts. Staff wil l update the City Council on this item tonight.
9. Mental Health/Substance Abuse
a. The City has continued to utilize the services offered by the County of Ventura for mental health services to the City’ s vulnerable population and has been recognized by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Crisis Intervention Team for the City’s use of the services. The City also conducted a Mental Health Workshop, gathering mental health services providers in the City and County to explain and detail the services available.
10. Outlook 2025 – Develop a concise plan on the course of the City for the next five years (minimum now, expand later)
a. No action has been taken on this item.
11. CalPERS - How/what are we going to do
a. Staff has provided updates to the City Council on the City’s PE RS obligations, proposing a Pension Obligation Bond to address this issue. As part of the Annual Budget process, the City’s PERS obligation is detailed and as part of labor negotiations, staff has outlined the impacts of any salary increases on the PERS obligation. Staff will update the City Council on this item tonight. Staff will be proposing a Budget Surplus Policy in April for the City Council’s consideration, which further identifies steps to address the City’s PERS obligation.
3 12. Sales Tax Increase/Increase Revenue
a. Staff presented a report to the City Council in October 2019 regarding a sales tax override.
13. Santa Susana Field Lab Clean Up/Golden State Water
a. Staff has continued to address the need for cleanup of the SSFL with the State of California and have joined with the City of Los Angeles to advocate for more swift actions.
14. Social Media Presence
a. Staff has exponentially increased the City’s social media presence on several social media platforms and have initiated an e -Newsletter to the general public and a separate e -Newsletter for the business community.
Staff has also launched an updated and user-friendly website for the City.
15. Street infrastructure
a. Reference item #1 above. Staff will update the City Council on this item tonight.
16. Technology corridors – fiber optic
a. Staff negotiated contracts with SiFi Networks for the build-out of a fiber optic network in Simi Valley that will provide 10 gigabit service to every property in Simi Valley. The SiFi project started construction in December 2021 and SiFi is currently moving through the City installing their fiber network.
17. Town Center
a. City staff continue to interact with the ownership of the Simi Valley Town Center, however the onset of COVID-19 has derailed the progress made in 2019 towards the re imagining of the Town Center. Staff has remained engaged with the ownership and have been assured plans are moving forward for changes to the Center. The ownership has also acquired both Macy’s boxes, placing under one owner all properties within the Mall District of the Simi Valley Town Center Specific Plan.
FINDINGS AND ALTERNATIVES
While the seventeen (17) items identified above were previously raised by this City Council, this and prior City Councils have consistently established the following as the City’s main priorities:
Support the expansion of affordable housing opportunities; Public Safety
Fiscal strength
Economic Development
To provide some background and context to the City Council’s discussion this evening, City staff have prepared presen tations to provide the status of the several areas of City operations. Topics include:
Presentation from Environmental Services regarding housing development and affordable housing activity in Simi Valley
4 • Presentation from the City Manager’s office with an update regarding economic development in the community
• Presentation from Public Works regarding the status of the City’s infrastructure projects including Streets & Road projects
• Presentation from Administrative Services regarding an overview of the City’s financial status and PERS update
• Presentation from the Police Department on current policing activity These topics cover the main priorities approved by the City Council in 2019 and provide a starting point for an open discussion tonight.
As the City begins to develop the Fiscal Year 2022-23 Budget, should there be any budget implications into the City Council’s actions, they can be addressed in the Budget deliberations.
SUGGESTED CITY COUNCIL MOTION
Staff has no suggested motion.
SUMMARY
The City Council had requested staff to set up a workshop to discuss goals and priorities for the near future. Staff is updating the City Council on the progress on the items identified by the City Council in 2019 Retreat and providing presentations to th e City Council to this evening to provide the further updates of the several areas of City operations.
____________________________________
Brian P. Gabler
City Manager