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HomeMy Public PortalAbout10) 7G Work Plan UpdateAGENDA ITEM 7.G. DATE: May 21, 2013 MANAGEMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Jose E. Pulido, City Manager By: Brian Haworth, Assistant to the City Manager Chelsea Wood, Communications Intern SUBJECT: 2012 FOURTH QUARTER AND 2013 FIRST QUARTER PROGRESS REPORTS ON TWO-YEAR WORK PLAN ITEMS RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council: a) Receive and file the 2012 Fourth Quarter (i.e., October through December) and 2013 First Quarter (i.e., January through March) progress reports on the City's Two -Year Work Plan: and b) Direct staff to present the 2013 Second Quarter Progress Report at the August 6, 2013 City Council meeting. BACKGROUND: 1. On May 8, 2010, during a Special Goal Setting Session to address organizational needs, the City Council (Council) affirmed a strong commitment to elevate the City from a "Status Quo" to "High Performance" organization. 2. On April 28, 2011, as a part of ongoing efforts to transition City operations to high - performing, the Council conducted its first in a series of strategic planning study sessions to assess the current status of the City organization, and develop policy - level objectives for the next two fiscal years (i.e., FYs 2011-12 and 2012-13). Staff collaborated on the Two -Year Work Plan—a list of numerous initiatives geared toward improving City Hall efficiency and increasing levels of service to the community—with each item advancing one or more of eight identified Council goals: City Council May 21, 2013 Page 2 toward improving City Hall efficiency and increasing levels of service to the community—with each item advancing one or more of eight identified Council goals: • Vision and Long -Range Planning • Sound Fiscal Policy • Public Health and Safety Y Sustainable Infrastructure • Economic Development/ • Basic City Services Redevelopment • Quality of Life • Citizen Education/Communication 3. On September 4, 2012, during a regularly scheduled Council meeting, staff presented a FY 2011-12 Close -Out Report, memorializing first-year achievements from the City's Two -Year Work Plan (Work Plan), as well as acknowledging challenges that affected progress. Council also directed staff to provide quarterly progress reports as a means to publicize regular updates on Work Plan items. ANALYSIS: The Work Plan provides a roadmap outlining how the City will advance the eight established Council goals over FY 2011-12 and FY 2012-13. By identifying individual initiatives, and matching them with corresponding timelines and performance metrics, the Work Plan serves as an accountability tool to keep staff on track towards progress. Furthermore, the user-friendly document clearly describes City developments, and promotes government transparency and civic engagement. Progress to Date Notable accomplishments over the past two reporting periods focused primarily on three themes: capital improvement projects; key planning studies; and organizational efficiencies. In January, construction began on the Rosemead Boulevard Beautification and Enhancements Project (Rosemead Project) to transform the corridor into a "complete street," a safe thoroughfare to accommodate drivers, transit riders, and bicyclists. Set for completion by summer 2014, the American Planning Association granted the project with an Award of Excellence in planning implementation for its anticipated new public spaces including pedestrian seating nodes, art installations and the addition of over 60,000 new plants and trees. Designs were also developed and vetted for the proposed Las Tunas Drive Safety Enhancements and Beautification Project (Las Tunas Project), which calls to transform the auto -oriented thoroughfare into a pedestrian -friendly, downtown destination. The concept design was finalized in March, and submitted as part of a $7 million funding application to the 2013 Metro Call for Projects. Should the application be approved, and City Council May 21, 2013 Page 3 upon the completion of the Rosemead Project, reconstruction of the Las Tunas corridor could begin as early as fall 2014. Two key planning studies — the Downtown Parking Study and the Traffic Calming Master Plan — were also completed, and now serve as policy documents for grant funding applications. Moving forward with the implementation of the Downtown Parking Study, the City purchased a former mortuary property (located at 5800 Temple City Boulevard) to accommodate future parking opportunities. Potential funding sources to advance these initiatives are being identified based on recommendations from the two studies, and will be included in next year's grant writing strategy (which has yielded $5.1 million in outside funding to date, with another $7 million pending grant award notification). Planning initiatives also commenced on the City's Parks and Open Space Master Plan, and Fixed -Route Transit Needs Assessment. The former initiative will explore ways to improve and expand parks and recreational opportunities, while the latter will identify unmet mobility needs through a new intra -city public transportation service. While the initiatives seem discrete, they are complementary as both look to promote sustainability, and encourage physical activity. Both planning initiatives will be completed this summer. Finally, organizational efficiencies focused primarily on a complete overhaul of the City's personnel rules, and a reshuffling of priorities in the Community Development Department. Significant changes to the City's personnel rules were necessary as prior policies conflicted with employment law and best practices. Furthermore, a new management team in the Community Development Department refocused its Work Plan projects and priorities to improve service delivery, meet external market demands, and better coordinate current initiatives with those proposed in the FY 2013-14 City Budget. These and other accomplishments demonstrate ongoing staff efforts to strive for excellence in advancing the eight Council -identified goals. Objectives as stated in the Work Plan have provided staff with a core set of principles to guide decision-making and ensure exceptional service delivery. To further illustrate staff accomplishments, a sampling of initiatives completed between October 2012 and March 2013 is provided below, and categorized by objective. Vision and Long -Range Planninq The City's Housing Element Update received final State certification, which now allows the City to pursue a variety of grant funding opportunities for housing projects and programs. The certification also means the City's housing policies comply with state law, and meet regional housing need allocations. City Council May 21, 2013 Page 4 • Discussions are underway among the City, Los Angeles County and Temple City Unified School District to pursue a Civic Center Master Plan that redevelops Temple City's government center with larger facilities and new open spaces. A potential public-private partnership could reenergize the area into a new local attraction, and possibly even include revenue -generating rental office units. • The circulation of an RFP initiated development of a citywide Strategic Plan. With many planning initiatives recently completed and underway, the strategic planning process works with the public to determine community priorities, and to establish an implementation plan for the next five years. Public Health and Safetv • The citywide installation of 64 ADA -compliant ramps was completed in February to improve pedestrian access for residents with limited mobility. Surplus federal funds will allow for 23 additional ramps to be installed by June, amounting to 87 total ADA -compliant access points. • Majority provisions of the County's Title 10 animal control regulations are now in effect, thereby increasing the City's ability to protect the health and safety of local pets, owners and the general public. • A second-hand smoke control ordinance was adopted to designate citywide smoke-free locations including outdoor public spaces, and within common areas of multi -unit residential housing complexes. Economic Development/Redevelopment • Ombudsman services continue for the Gateway Project, including assistance with permitting and tenant attraction. Construction is now underway on the project's underground parking structure. • The completion of a financial proforma warranted the feasibility of a mixed-use project on the former Alpha Beta site. To accommodate a future proposal, the Planning Commission will consider amendments to the Downtown Specific Plan on June 25. • The City's two-year economic development strategy kicked -off in February, and will be completed in May. The effort identifies short- and long-term economic development goals for City implementation. The strategy also looks to use the City's $8 million Economic Development Reserve Fund. City Council May 21, 2013 Page 5 Citizen Education/Communication • A comprehensive communications platform was deployed during construction of the Rosemead Project. Weekly radio broadcasts via AM 1690 and e - messages convey valuable construction information, including anticipated traffic impacts and other community advisories. A 24-hour customer service response time is in effect for the project's designated hotline and general e- mail account. • Development of the City's new website began in February. Planned for a soft launch this summer, the new and intuitive website will act as a virtual City Hall, making City resources more accessible to residents, businesses and visitors. • The City's communications office continues to set industry best practices, as evidenced by its three first place awards from the American Planning Association and California Association of Public Information Officials. Connect Magazine received two awards of excellence in communications and planning journalism, while the Las Tunas community meetings campaign received an award of excellence in civic engagement. Sound Fiscal Policv • Pursuant to Assembly Bill (AB) 1484, due diligence activities were completed in an effort to retain $2.2 million in former redevelopment agency bond proceeds. A formal Notice of Completion is soon expected from the State Department of Finance, confirming the City may retain proceeds to fund future affordable housing programs (i.e., roughly $400,000), and $1.8 million in construction costs for the Rosemead Boulevard Beautification and Enhancements Project. • The City received an unqualified—or "clean"—audit opinion regarding financial reporting, subsequently allowing for the completion of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). The document provides the public with detailed information concerning the condition and performance of City finances. Furthermore, the CAFR was submitted to the Government Finance Officers Association for a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting. • An upgrade of the City's financial software was accomplished, thus providing new fiscal controls and enhanced checks -and -balance systems to meet best practices in prudent financial management. City Council May 21, 2013 Page 6 Sustainable Infrastructure • Adopted in January, the Energy Efficiency Climate Action Plan provides a framework for how the community can meet long-term energy efficiency goals pursuant to AB 32 and Senate Bill 375 (i.e., greenhouse gas reduction mandates). A first -phase pilot program to encourage the installation of commercial energy efficiency improvements is underway between the Chamber of Commerce and Green Globe, an environmental non-profit organization. • A draft pavement management strategy was completed to assess the conditions of all city streets, and prioritizes the programming of funds for street repairs within the next three to five years. The strategy also includes recommendations for necessary sidewalk and curb installations, as well as construction techniques that employ the use of green practices (e.g., rubberized asphalt). Scheduled for Council review this summer, the adopted strategy will set in motion the development of a five-year Capital Improvement Plan to appropriate funds and schedule street improvements. • Using County grant funds, over 200 public trees (of 300 total trees funded) were planted to replace those lost in the 2011 windstorm. Proactive measures were also taken to protect the City's $17.4 million urban forest by enacting an ordinance that expands the duties of the Parks and Recreation Commission to matters involving the care and maintenance of City -owned trees. A revised Commission work plan is underway for the next fiscal year, and incorporates the development of a tree ordinance, as well as updates to the citywide tree master plan. Basic Citv Services • Nearing completion are standard operating procedures to formalize customer service expectations for the Parks and Recreation Department. As the City's most visible and service intensive department, upcoming trainings will assist its primarily young and part-time staff in exceeding organizational expectations and delivering high-quality public services. • Mandarin and Cantonese speaking volunteers are now deployed at special events to assist frontline recreation staff with community inquiries. The designation of bilingual points of contact ensures proactive customer service. • With a voluntary compliance rate of 83%, the Focused Area Systematic Enforcement (FASE) program received an Innovation Award from the California Association of Code Enforcement Officers for its approach in simplifying and communicating property maintenance regulations. Proven City Council May 21, 2013 Page 7 successful, FASE has saved valuable staff time, allowing for the creation of a second program that targets commercial corridors. Qualitv of Life • Investigating new avenues of civic engagement, a separate Dim Sum and tea event, as well as youth activities were added to this year's Lunar New Year Celebration to further cultural awareness, and bridge cross-cultural and generational barriers. • A thorough evaluation of recreation classes resulted in the need for new programming to serve the growing Baby Boomer and Asian populations. Ten new classes will be introduced this summer – including senior fitness activities and computer courses taught in Mandarin – to meet community demand, as well as to keep programming competitive and serving a regional niche. • Design documents are currently underway to construct 12.6 miles of premiere bike lanes, and numerous pedestrian amenities and facilities, near nine Temple City schools. Funded by nearly $1 million in federal and state grants, the improvements are slated for completion next year. Attachment "A" includes 2012 Fourth Quarter and 2013 First Quarter updates on the City's Two -Year Work Plan, organized by department. Progress to date has resulted in 23 completed projects, 64 projects underway, 23 projects not yet started, and 5 projects canceled or under reassessment. Moving Forward Heading into the Second Quarter of 2013, towards closing out the Work Plan, staff will continue to focus on major planning initiatives. In the economic development realm, the City's draft economic development strategy—including recommendations for programming the City's $8 million Economic Development Reserve Fund—will be vetted and finalized by the City Council. Preparation will also commence on a specific plan for Temple City Plaza, allowing for zoning amendments that enable the property to change in line with anticipated market conditions—including property and building reconfigurations and mixed-use concepts. And finally, should the City receive the up -to $7 million in grants for which it applied, construction drawings would commence on the Las Tunas Project. With the Parks and Open Space Master Plan and Fixed Route Transit Needs Assessment wrapping up in the next few months, recommendations from these and other recently completed planning studies will be examined and prioritized into a Citywide Strategic Plan—a process which seeks to program and budget all planning City Council May 21, 2013 Page 8 initiatives to date, based on community need and priority. The Strategic Planning process begins this summer. CONCLUSION: The 2012 Fourth Quarter and 2013 First Quarter progress reports recognize Council and staff's combined efforts in transitioning the City organization into a high- performance operation. Regular status updates on Work Plan initiatives keep the Council and public informed of City developments, while also promoting government accountability and transparency. a6Ky_1N161:7_x"19 This item does not have an impact on the FY 2012-13 City Budget. ATTACHMENT: A. 2012 Fourth Quarter and 2013 First Quarter Progress Reports Attachment "A" will be provided on a separate cover tH May 17