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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - June 21, 2000 D-03dLODI CITY COUNCIL REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING CARNEGIE FORUM, 305 WEST PINE STREET WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2000 7:00 P.M. 1. ROLL CALL Present: Council Members — Hitchcock, Land, Nakanishi, Pennino and Mann (Mayor) Absent: Council Members — None Also Present: City Manager Flynn, Deputy City Manager Keeter, Public Works Director Prima, Community Development Director Bartlam, Finance Director McAthie, City Attorney Hays and Interim City Clerk Taylor 2. INVOCATION The invocation was given by Pastor Bill Crabtree, Emanuel Lutheran Church 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Mann. 4. AWARDS / PROCLAMATIONS / PRESENTATIONS a) Mayor Mann introduced Ashley Krueger of the Greater Lodi Area Youth Commission, who presented the June Teen of the Month award to Jillian Person, a student at Lodi High School. b) Molly Jones, representing the Lodi City Swim Club presented Mayor Mann with a check for $5,000 as payment toward the Swim Club's City loan for renovation of the Tokay High pool, leaving a balance of $4,000 from an original $24,000 loan. c) Mr. Antonio Pizano, Executive Director of the San Joaquin Housing Authority, presented the Housing Authority's 1999 Annual Report and a brief overview of the Authority's current and future activities and programs. Mr. Pizano thanked Council Member Land for his participation in the Housing Authority as the representative for the Lodi community. d) Mayor Mann announced that there has been much discussion lately regarding education reimbursement, and that it appears there are no specific benefits documented for Council except salary and PERS retirement. As a result, he and his wife believe that although there has been no request for him to do so, it is in the interest of the City that the City be ell>reimbursed. Mayor Mann presented Interim City Clerk Taylor with a letter of explanation and a check for $5,003.62, and requested that Council designate that this money be used to help build the Veterans Monument. Further, Mayor Mann requested an item be placed on the next agenda for discussion of Council benefits in the hope that Council will approve a policy to guide this and future Councils in authorized benefits. 5. CONSENT CALENDAR In accordance with report and recommendation of the City Manager, Council, on motion of Council Member Pennino, Hitchcock second, approved the following items hereinafter set forth (except those otherwise noted): a) Claims were approved in the amount of $4,178,159.65. b) The minutes of June 6, 2000 (Special Meeting), June 6, 2000 (Special Meeting) and June 7, 2000 (Regular Meeting) were approved as written. c) Adopted Resolution No. 2000-97 authorizing the City Manager to execute all necessary agreements to implement the Lower Sacramento Road Widening Project, and further, approved plans and specifications and authorized advertisement for bids for the project. Stephen J. Mann 111 N. Crescent Avenue Lodi, CA 95240 June 21, 2000 Dear Madam City Clerk: As you are aware, I have attended courses through St. Mary's College and have been partially reimbursed by the City for tuition in the amount of $5,003.61, according to the city Finance Department. I was offered and accepted the reimbursement in good faith under the impression that this particular benefit, among other benefits, was extended to Council Members. It has subsequently been discovered that there is no Council Resolution establishing a benefits policy, with the exception of the Public Employees Retirement (PERS) program. Moreover, current administrative staff cannot be blamed for the miscue because they, too, were under the impression that Council Members were entitled to management benefits. In fact, Council Members, past and present, have received some level of benefits for at least the past 12 years without a formal Resolution. Inasmuch as I believed that I was entitled to the tuition reimbursement benefit based upon what I was told, I have determined that without a Resolution, I cannot accept the reimbursement. Accordingly, please find attached a check in the amount of $5,003.61, which represents repayment in full for all tuition reimbursements that I received relative to the St. Mary's College Degree Program. On the other hand, the computer classes I took at Delta College several years ago were directly related to my involvement on the City's Information Technology Committee, and they had nothing to do with a degree. The City benefited directly from the information I picked up in those sessions. I am optimistic that we may now work productively toward rectifying this misunderstanding so that future elected officials will know precisely which benefits are available to Council Members and their families. I am hopeful that my fellow Council Members and I will be able to work cooperatively with staff to establish a policy relative to Council benefits. My only request is that the City Council designate the funds to be used for the construction of the Veteran's Mall. Mayor Attachment DELTA PUBLISHING 1-86 P.O. BOX 648 209-368-6274 LODI, CA 95241 90-3962/1211 545 0101008642- DATF �l 00 PAY TO 1111: � 7 j O� /_017 $ 5,-",e30 2 ORDFR OF !/ rh ee-5 a-7-h"7,7908ARsB z MEMO l:L2LL396271:0545 OL0L00664211' Bank of Lodi SALE, PAPER