CRA News October 2004

Kay and Harvey Kuffner, right, Coastal Cleanup chairpersons, and their assistants, Carol and Jesse Kahn, ran the operation like clockwork, weighing and counting and recording each bag of trash as it was brought in.

Volunteers pick up 1786 cigarette butts and more

According to Chairpersons Kay and Harvey Kuffner, 55 people participated at Carmel Beach in the Statewide Coastal Cleanup. They picked up a total of 139 pounds of debris--109 pounds of trash and 30 pounds of recyclables.

"The Coastal Commission," reports Kay Kuffner, "always says that Carmel Beach has the least trash of any other California beach because the Carmel Residents Association keeps it so clean with its monthly cleanup."

Volunteers reported finding lots of dog waste, most, but not all, in doggie bags people had filled but then left on the beach. We wonder if this is because the dispensers say the bags are "biodegradable," or if it is just plain laziness?

1786 cigarette butts were picked up and counted in the three-hour event!

The list of California cities which have banned beach smoking, or are in the process of doing so, is growing: Santa Cruz, Solana Beach, Los Angeles, Malibu, San Clemente, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Newport Beach and Capitola. A bill for a statewide beach smoking ban failed in the Legislature this summer.

Several participants said they hoped that the city would enact a ban on smoking at our beach. This would keep Carmel-by-the-Sea out in front as it historically has been--a village which cares deeply about protecting its natural resources and scenic beauty.

COUNCIL WATCH

Sales tax rises to top as city cuts list of possible new revenues

City Council chambers became a virtual cutting-room floor at a special council meeting on Sept. 23, as various revenue-enhancing proposals such as a restaurant tax, an increase in the hotel tax, a real estate transfer tax and a parcel tax were eliminated for the time being from further discussion. Previously, proposals for a branded credit card, tax on 30-day rentals and paid parking were set aside. The only significant revenue source which made the final cut was an increase in the sales tax.

Ann Fairbank, one of three authors of the petition being circulated to increase the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) by 2%, said she was very unhappy not to see a TOT increase on the list and urged the council to "sign it into law and eliminate the necessity of a special election." Carol Hilburn pointed out the inconsistency between the council's approval of a $2 tax on $20 Sunset Center tickets and refusal to add $2 to a $100 hotel bill. She also thought "tourists should pay their fair share since the city has to pay for far more expanded services than a city of this size normally would because of the huge population increase from visitors."

Councilman Erik Bethel said he wouldn't be opposed to a sales tax, increased TOT or restaurant tax if the proceeds were used to keep Carmel attractive and he didn't think any of these would deter visitors. He said the same logic should be used for all taxes, that it didn't make sense to say an increased TOT would drive away visitors while a sales tax wouldn't. Since an ambulance tax and the recent storm water tax both failed, the consensus was that another parcel tax would probably not survive a vote despite Councilman Mike Cunningham's argument that "citizens realize now that the services they have enjoyed are in jeopardy." A real estate transfer tax was dropped because it is illegal for general law cities such as Carmel.

City Administrator Rich Guillen urged the City Council to narrow the list and concentrate on "deep-well items" for further staff analysis. The council finally settled on: a local sales tax increase of .25%, revising the city's investment policy to increase return on investments and a construction truck impact fee. Of the three, the only one which would generate a healthy new revenue stream is the sales tax which, if raised by .25% and approved by the voters, would yield $470,500, still far below the $1 million needed. [However, it looks as if the TOT initiative has enough signatures and, if passed by voters, it would bring in $700,000 per year.]

By taking slightly more risk, Erik Bethel argued that the city could increase its rate of return on invested funds by at least $32,000. He and the city administrator will work together on this.

If the city assessed a fee for the damage caused by heavy construction trucks, the revenue could be used for street repairs. There is no estimate on how much this would raise, but Mr. Guillen will monitor what happens in the city of Monterey, which has put together such a measure. Councilman Gerard Rose thought the whole idea might be illegal.

Your editor suggested that reviving the plan for a Business Improvement District should not be listed as "budget relieving," because some council members had argued that the city should continue to contribute $100,000 to visitor promotion even if the BID were enacted. Although the mayor disputed that this had been discussed, Councilwoman Paula Hazdovac said it had and that she still felt strongly that the city should continue to fund marketing with or without a BID.

A few other on-going projects -- charging for tour bus parking, adding cellular towers, increasing fees and a city "wish list" of needed items could also produce limited revenue.

Council exercise leads to pre-determined (?) outcome -- sell property!

An elegantly-constructed staff report for the Sept. 23 special meeting took the City Council through an exercise which led to the conclusion that city property should be sold. Although the council has already indicated a willingness to sell property, this process provided the rationale to argue against those who feel that city assets should be saved for future generations.

The report included a catalogue of the city's deferred maintenance, totalling over $13 million as well as an analysis of adopted budget guidelines for allocation to capital expenses (3.5%) and maximum amount of debt (8.25%). The current budget allocates 3.46% to capital improvements and the debt service level is 7.36% of the budget.

It was former City Administrator Jere Kersnar who first told the City Council that the city's long list of deferred maintenance could only be tackled if the city found a new revenue stream of at least $1 million. He suggested pay and display parking. And, it was also Kersnar who told the council that no city is expected to or ever has corrected all of its deferred maintenance. It is only a goal.

Since the sale of property is a one-time revenue gain, the staff report first identified three areas which could be funded by one-time expenses: paying down debt, deferred maintenance and new property acquisition (open space, parking and affordable housing).

Then 5 questions were asked of council:
1) Are the financial guidelines/policies reasonable? The council answered yes.
2) Are there specific projects which should be funded for which existing funding sources are insufficient? The council answered yes.
3) If answer to #2 is yes, should the city seek additional revenues from one-time or on-going sources? The council answered yes, one-time sources.
4) If one-time sources are appropriate, should the city consider the sale of property to generate these funds? The council answered yes.
5) If property is sold, what specific projects should be funded?

Although instructed not to discuss individual properties, the entire council seems poised to increase capital spending through selling one if not all of Flanders, the Scout House and Rio Park. The priorities for use of the money were the fire house, Forest Theater, roads and debt reduction. Expect more specific action soon.

When The Bell's Not Ringing
by Carmel Fire Department Captain Mitch Kastros

One of the biggest frustrations any firefighter goes through is the public misconception that if we are not out on an alarm, be it a fire, medical emergency or public service, we are doing nothing.

In a small department such as ours there are many tasks, projects and duties that need to be tended to, all related to those situations when the bell rings and we need to respond. From station, vehicle and equipment maintenance to training, prevention and safety awareness, we are constantly preparing ourselves and the people we serve for those times no one hopes to experience.

For those who may not be aware of the non-emergency services we provide to you, our customers, here are a few.

Many of you own a fire extinguisher, but do you know how to use it or if it is still functional? We can teach or help you polish your skills and awareness level with regard to fire extinguishers and fire safety. This includes, for those who wish to participate, actually fighting a sizable flammable-liquids fire. We are available to assist you on an individual basis, or in groups.

Commercial occupancies are required to have an annual fire safety inspection, but residential occupancies are not. However, we will conduct a residential safety inspection upon request. If you have never had one done, it's not a bad idea. Although we enforce fire and safety codes in the business district, we do not in private residences. We do offer strong advice on serious issues with your home, but our main focus is to provide you with guidelines, awareness and education on fire safety.

A large part of our non-emergency service has to do with educating our customers. We offer classes in emergency and disaster preparation, CPR, home fire drills and babysitting. Our next emergency and disaster preparation class (Citizens' Emergency Response Training, or CERT) is scheduled to begin on October 16th.

If you have special educational or awareness needs regarding your own particular situation, we are also available to assist you in this area.

If you wish to utilize any of these services as an individual, family or group, please call 620-2030 and ask for Mitch Kastros.

Remember that this month we return to standard time by turning our clocks back one hour on October 31, Halloween. Changing the clocks is also the reminder for us to inspect our smoke detectors and change their batteries.

Have a happy, fun and safe Halloween and don't forget about all of the extra services we can provide for you.

Library Board vs. City Hall

Supported by a room full of vocal, concerned patrons, including two former mayors, the Library Board on Sept. 8 voted unanimously to reject the city's proposal to move the library's bookkeeping and accounting functions to City Hall. Instead they will pay for their own accountant and bookkeeping.

Library Board member David Evans summed up the situation saying, "I think this is ridiculous and it's time to let people know we're going to maintain our own independence and integrity." The furor, culminating in the board's Sept. 8 decision, began when City Administrator Rich Guillen informed the board that, because of recent staff layoffs, he was moving Administrative Coordinator Stephanie Pearce from the library to City Hall, where she would become part of an employee pool. Her library duties were to be divided among nine City Hall employees.

Under state law, libraries are required to keep their funds totally separate from municipal funds. Although Pearce has already moved to City Hall, the board was unwilling to give up its financial independence, fearing that the line could become blurred between money raised by the Carmel Public Library Foundation for the purchase of books, and city money.

Former Mayor Ken White, concerned about the effect this proposed move would have on donations to the Library Foundation, told the board that he was told by Sunset Center consultants that you "cannot run money through the city or even let people think that money would be in city coffers!"

John Hicks pointed out that the Library Foundation now has a $3 million endowment raised "from scratch." "Why depart from so happy and such a successful performance? The change [bookkeeping and accounting to City Hall] is radical and it is suspicious."

When 24 employees, including a custodian, were laid off in July, City Administrator Rich Guillen announced that library and City Hall rest rooms would be closed to the public and cleaned by non-janitorial employees.

After considerable pressure from those pointing out that the two library branches have thousands of visitors each month with an equivalent demand for bathroom facilities, far exceeding the people coming through City Hall, Guillen agreed to reopen one unisex rest room, complete with janitorial service, in each branch "within the next few weeks."

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