Minutes 2014 05-19 DRAFT
CITY OF POWAY, CALIFORNIA
MINUTES OF THE BUDGET REVIEW COMMITTEE
REGULAR MEETING
May 19, 2014
The May 19, 2014, Regular Meeting of the Budget Review Committee was called to
order at 6:12 p.m. by Brett Ames at the Poway City Council Chambers Observation
Room, 13325 Civic Center Drive, Poway, California.
1. COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT
Brett Ames
Mary Cross
Barry Leonard
Peter Murray
Steven Stone
COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT
None
STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT
Interim City Manager Tina White
Director of Administrative Services Scott Edwards
Assistant Director of Administrative Services Peter Moote
2. PUBLIC ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
None
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
3. Approve Meeting Minutes (May 12, 2014 Committee Meeting)
The Committee reviewed and approved the minutes for the May 12, 2014 meeting.
4. Discussion - Retirement Structure
Staff distributed a schedule of the City’s current retirement rates, which conveyed
both the employer and employee contribution amounts as well as participation levels
at each plan tier. Tina White and Scott Edwards provided an overview of the City’s
pension plans, the PERS and PARS systems, and the City’s implementation of
pension reform measures prior to the California Public Employees’ Pension Reform
Act.
Committee discussion included public perception issues associated with public
pensions that do not generally apply to the City of Poway. Additionally, Committee
Budget Review Committee Minutes
Regular Meeting
May 19, 2014
Page 2 of 2
discussion included the benefits now being realized from the City’s early
implementation of pension reform measures, staffing level reductions, and the long
term outlook of the retirement program.
5. Discussion – Financial Policy Amendment Concerning Annual Redevelopment
Property Tax Trust Funds (RPTTF)
Scott Edwards directed the Committee’s attention to the draft Financial Policy
amendments previously distributed to the Committee. The Committee discussed the
amendments, including possible thresholds for the allocation of RPTTF sources for
community reinvestment. Brett Ames called for the members to directly provide staff
with any requested language changes to the proposed amendments in advance of
the Committee’s next meeting. Barry Leonard and Steven Stone confirmed their
acceptance of the amendments, as proposed.
6. Discussion – Annual Report of Recommendations to the City Council
The Committee discussed possible recommendations for their report to Council;
drawing from Scott Edwards’ crosswalk of Committee initiated topics, the community
survey responses, and Town Hall Budget Meeting content, including:
• Optimization of facility use (i.e., the Center for the Performing Arts)
• Community reinvestment (e.g., full construction of Espola Road improvements)
• The Economic Development program
• Means of communicating the City’s overall favorable financial position, including
pension program funding and the absence of retiree medical benefits
Brett Ames led a discussion regarding the logistics for finalizing recommendations to
be included in the report. This resulted in scheduling another meeting for June 2,
2014, at which time the Committee would discuss a draft report to be prepared by
Brett and distributed to the Committee by staff in advance of the meeting.
CHAIR AND COMMITTEE MEMBER – INITIATED ITEMS
None
ADJOURNMENT
Chair Ames adjourned the meeting at 9:58 pm.
Scott Edwards
Director of Administrative Services