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Home My WebLink AboutAgenda Report - August 20, 2003 I-02� nI I COUNCIL CORTICATION AGENDA TITLE: Consider Adoption Of Resolution In Support Of The Proposal For An Executive Director Of The Central Valley Mayor's Conference And Agreement To Contribute Lodi's Proportionate Share To Fund The Position ($2,472) MEETING DATE: August 20, 2003 PREPARED BY: City Clerk RECOMMEND ACTION: That Council consider adoption of a resolution in support of the proposal for an Executive Director of the Central Valley Mayor's Conference and agreement to contribute Lodi's proportionate share to fund the position. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: This item appears on the agenda as requested by Mayor Hitchcock. Attached for informational purposes are: • Exhibit A --letter from Fresno Mayor Alan Autry (dated June 2, 2003) announcing that at the April 14 Central Valley Mayor's Conference a resolution was passed to explore staffing the Central Valley Mayor's Conference with an Executive Director, and further requesting funding for this position based on population (Lodi's proportionate share would be $2,472). • Exhibit B—letter from Clovis Mayor Lynne Ashbeck (dated June 19, 2003) providing additional information and clarification on this subject. • Exhibit C—tabulation of responses from Central Valley cities, as prepared by the City of Fresno. Should Council vote to contribute Lodi's proportionate share ($2,472) to fund the Executive Director position for the Central Valley Mayor's Conference, a resolution formalizing this action Will be prepared following the meeting. FUNDING SJB/jmp If approved, $2,472 — Contingency Fund. Vicky McAthle, finance Director 1 —1 �-- � w�\16— 7 r-- �- Susan J. Blackston City Clerk APPROVED: H. 6ixo-A Flynn -- Citf Manager MAYOR ALANAuru Mayor Susan Hitchcock City of Lodi P.O. Box 3006 Lodi, CA 95241 Dear Colleagues: [EXHi6iT A RECEIVED GOV Gle.04, cit)iof Lodi During our April 14 Central Valley Mayor's Conference, we passed a resolution to explore staffing the Central Valley Mayor's Conference with an Executive Director. Gary Podesto and I have had further discussions on the subject and would like to recornmend that we proceed with this effective July 1, 2003. With the California fiscal crisis getting deeper and more contentious every day, it is important that the united voice of our central valley be heard as decisions are made, Further, we are beginning to identify some projects of common interest to all of us in the Central Valley that require sustained attention. We envision that the major functions of the Executive Director will include. Identifying opportunities for Central Valley Cooperation, Identifying issues that the Central Valley Mayors may wish to address jointly, Maintaining regular communications with all Central Valley Mayors on matters of common interest. Managing projects of common interest. Coordinating lobbying activities in Sacramento and Washington D.C. on issues that the Central Valley Mayors have agreed to pursue. Organizing the annual (or-bi-annual) meeting. Fresnu bc&d CITY 01; FRB'SNO 0-1-Y Int.[. - 2,600 f"KV.SNO a FRUSNO, CALIFORNIA 93721-3600 (559) 621-8000 -IMAX (559) 621-7990 June 2, 2003 Page 2 The Executive Director can immediately help us on such initiatives as the Central Valley Operation Glean Air Initiative and the project to obtain Interstate designation for Highway 99 (see separate letter mailed to you recently). The Community and Economic Development Offices at Fresno State University has agreed to host the Executive Director and handle the administrative aspects of the position. Funding of the position on a full-time basis would require a total annual budget of $92,000, including expenses. Our proposal is that funding be based on each city's percentage of the total incorporated population in the 62 cities that comprise the Central Valley Mayor's Conference, exempting the City that will host our annual conference since that city will incur significant costs in hosting the conference. The amount of the budget to be allocated to each City on this basis is shown in the attached document. As the largest City in the Valley, Fresno would be the largest contributor. Twenty-three cities would pay less than $500/year; 19 would pay between $500 and $1,000/year; 9 would pay between $1,000 and $2,0001years; 8 would pay between $2,000 and $4,0001 year-, and only four cities (including Fresno) would pay more than $4,000. We have an excellent candidate for the position, Lynne Ashbeck, the recently elected Mayor of Clovis. As you will see by reading the attached resume, Lynne is superbly qualified. Those of you who have had an opportunity to get acquainted with Lynne know her to be bright, personable, and high-energy, with excellent organizational and leadership skills, Her background in both the private and public sectors, and her extensive civic experience, make her an excellent fit for our needs. Mayor Podesto and I have made arrangements through the Community and Economic Development Office at Fresno State to retain Lynne on a part-time consulting basis for the months of May and June and she is already managing our initiative to obtain Interstate designation for Highway 99. This part-time consulting arrangement is being funded by Fresno and Stockton. A favorable response from you will enable us to extend a full-time offer to Lynne beginning on July 1". We realize this is a difficult time to ask any of our cities to incur a new expense. On the other hand, there has never been a more important time for the voices of our 62 cities in the Central Valley to be united in support of our interests. Vve believe the modest investment we are proposing will provide attractive returns for all of us. June 2, 2003 Page 3 If you are in agreement with this proposal, please so indicate by signing in the space provided below and return a copy of this letter to Mayor Alan Autry, We would appreciate hearing from you by June 20, 2003. I support the proposed approach and agree to fund my portion of the Executive Director's budget, in accordance with the attached allocation schedule. Signature Im Title City % of Central $ Alocation of. Population Valley $92,000 Executive City County `111102* Population* Director Budget 1 ARVIN KERN COUNTY 13,518 0.6% 618 ATWATER MERCED COUNTY 24,440 1.0% 1030 3 AVENAL KINGS COUNTY 14,827 0.6% 618 4 BAKERSFIELD KERN COUNTY 257,914 10 6% 10,918 5 CALIFORNIA CITY KERN COUNTY 10,818 0.4% 412 6 CERES STANISLAUS COUNTY 35,656 1.5% 1,545 7 CHOWCHILLA MA ?ERA COUNTY 14,359 0.6% 618 8 CLOVIS FRESNO COUNTY 72,808 3.0% 3,090 9 COALINGA FRESNO COUNTY 16,423 0.7% 721 10 CORCORAN ICINGS COUNTY 21,129 0.9% 927 11 DELANO KERN COUNTY 40,904 1.7% 1,761 12 DINUBA TULARE COUNTY 17,503 0.7% 721 13 DOS PALOS MERGED COUNTY 4,662 Q.2% 206 14 ESCALON SAKI JOAQUIN COUNTY 6,358 0,3% 309 15 EXETER TULARE COUNTY 9,456 0A% 412 16 FARMERSVILLE TULARE COUNTY 9,022 0.4% 412 17 FIREBAUGH FRESNO COUNTY 5,954 0.2% 206 18 FOWLER FRESNO COUNTY 4,161 0.2% 206 19 FRESNO FRESNO COUNTY 441,870 18.2% 18,746 20 GUSTINE MERCED COUNTY 4,988 0.2% 206 21 HANFORD KINGS COUNTY 43,575 1,8% 1,854 22 HUGHSON STANISLAUS COUNTY 4,231 0.2% 206 23 HURON FRESNO COUNTY 6,619 0.3% 309 24 KERMAN FRESNO COUNTY 9,569 0.4% 412 25 ICINGS URC FRESNO COUNT`( 10,047 0.4°x0 412 26 LATHROP SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY 11,556 0.5% 515 27 LEMOORE KINGS COUNTY 20,650 0.8% 824 28 LINDSAY TULARE COUNTY 10,384 0.4% 412 29 LIVINGSTON MERCED COUNTY 10,830 0.4% 412 30 LOM SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY 59,431 2.4% 2,472 31 LCIS BANOS MERCED COUNTY 28,172 1.2% 1,236 32 MADERA MADERA COUNTY 46,161 1.9% 1,957 33 MANTECA SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY 54,975 2.3% 2,369 34 MARICOPA KERN COUNTY 1,129 0.0% 0 35 MCFARLAND KERN COUNTY 9,801 C}A% 412 36 MENDOTA FRESNO COUNTY 8,055 0,3% 309 37 MERCED MERGED COUNTY 66,059 2.7% 2,781 36 MODESTO STANISLAUS COUNTY 196,633 &2% 8,446 39 NEWMAN STANISLAUS COUNTY 7,538 0.3% 309 40 OAKDALE STANISLAUS COUNTY 16,218 0.7% 721 41 ORANGE COVE FRESNO COUNTY 8,511 0.4% 412 42 PARLIER FRESNO COUNTY 12,058 0,5% 515 43 PATTERSON STANISLAUS COUNTY 13,027 0.5% 515 44 PORTERVILLE 41,009 1,7% 1,751 Three Largest Cities in Bold Source: State of California Department of Finance as of Jan. 1, 2002 % of Central Allocation of Population Valley $92,000 Executive city County 411102" Population Director Budget 45 RE,EDLEY FRESNO COUNTY 21,218 0.9% 927 46 RIDGECRE aT KERN COUNTY 25,483 1.0% 1,030 47 RIPON SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY 11,155 0.5% 515 48 RIVERBANK STANISLAUS COUNTY 17,004 0,7% 721 49 SAN JOAQUIN FRESNO COUNTY 3,400 Qat% 103 50 SANGER FRESNO COUNTY 19,539 0.8% 824 51 SELMA FRESNO COUNTY 20,337 0.8% 824 52 SHAFTER KERN COUNTY 13,045 0.5% 515 53 STOCKTON SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY 253,800 10A% 10,712 54 TAFT KERN COUNTY 8,929 0A% 412 55 TEHACHAPI KERN COUNTY 11,101 0.5% 515 56 TRACY SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY 65,643 2.7%® 2,781 57 TULARE TULARE COUNTY 45,295 1.9% 1,957 58 TURLOCK STANKLAUS COUNTY 59,367 2.4% 2;472 59 VI aALIA TULARE COUNTY 95,812 3.9% 4,017 50 WA CO KERN COUNTY 21,656 0.9% 927 61 WATERFORD STANISLAUS COUNTY 7,165 0.3% 309 62 V OODLAKE TULARE COUNTY 66,843 0.3% 309 2,431,430 100.0% 103103 Less Conference Host City (Bakersfield) Allocation -10918 Total 92185 Three Largest Cities in Bold Source: State of California Department of Finance as of Jan. 1, 2002 CITY HALL - 1033 FIFTH STREET - CLOVIS, CA 93612 Mayor Susan Hitchcock and City Council City of Lodi P,O.Box 3006 Lodi, CA 95241 (559) 324-2010 RECEIVED JUN 2 3 2003 G�ty QJerk City of Lodi There has been much discussion around the idea of the Central California Mayors Conference, my role in such a venture, a -ad Mayor Autry's motivation behind the idea. Please accept this letter as an effort to relay additional information to you. a As. you will -recall, the idea of formalizing the Central C.A. Mayors Conference and the hiring of an Executive Director was unanimously approved at the March 15, 2003, meeting of the group with approximately 30-40 mayors in attendance from small and large, cities throughout the Valley. 0 At that point, the Mayors Conference was associated with the Maddy Institute at CSUF. I had been in conversations with the Maddy Institute about possible ways we might work together. When the idea of an Executive Director role was approved, it simply became another project for consideration, There were no agreements or commitments.,.only possibilities, I had a conversation with. Mayor Autry about any interest in the Mayor's Conference role should it hecome a reality and after all of'the necessary "due process " (City Attorney review, MOUs, etc,) were in place. According to Mayor Autry's office, the letter you received in early June was actually written in mid-April. The purpose of the letter was two -fold: first, to ask for support for the Position in general and in advance of any agreements; and, second, to offer my skills as a possible match for the role. The mailing of the letter was delayed until June 2 and it clearly raised all sorts of "red flags" at that point in time. In hindsight, those two issues should have been raised independently of one another ... but they were riot. The rest is history, as they say! City COUD61 Lynne Ashbeck, Mayor - Nathan Magsig, Mayor Pro Tem Harry Armstrong, Councilincrnber - los6 G. Flores, Councilmembe-r - Bob Whalen, Councilmernber Cathleen A. Millison, City Manager There are rumors of a "conspiracy" because of my work with Mayor Autry on Highway 99. My limited work on the Highway 99 corridor was in my role as a Central Valley mayor, not in exchange for any money. Fresno and Clovis have history of strained working relations and I was simply trying to collaborate with them on an issue that many in the Valley supported. It is disappointing that collaboration i mistaken for conspiracy. T here is +^.;)n.ci.m alt this oiganizafion is a direct affront to the League of Cahfo 14 Cities. That is certainly not the intent behind Mayor Autry's idea. The Mayor'$. Conference was unanimously supported as a value-added service by the 30 -40 - mayors in Stockton....not because the League was not performing or diel not meet need. Quite the contrary. ..the League is an essential organization. Our region is iii desperate need of some unity ... and Mayor Autry and the other mayors who supported this idea thought a separate organization would add valve. There is certainly enough work for all to do. I apologize for the chaos, special meetings, and resolutions this has created. Much of that is based on an incomplete set of facts...so I hope this letter helps explain "the rest 0f th . story," as someone much more famous than I said. A call to Mayor Autry or myself might have helped redirect some of the confusion from the beginning. The Valley is in a perilous situation with the state budget, lack of jobs, air quality; housing, access to health care and many other issues of concern, For any part I may have played in diverting your attention from the real work of our cities, my sincere apologies. Please feel free to call me if I can answer any questions directly. ynne,Ashbeck, Mayor City of Clovis 559.324.2063 (City Hall) 559.2 .9731 (cell) l e.el�avis.ca.s ee Ron Ramsey, President SSJ Division, League of CA Cities Catherine Medina, .e io al representative, League of CA Cities ahhy Millison, City S anagff, City Of CloAs Jeanette Ishii, Executive Director, 4ad y Institute Clovis City Council T er bers Central Valley Mayor's Executive Director Responses City Yes No ARVIN ATWATER AVENAL BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIA CITY X CERES CHOWCHILLA CLOVIS COALINGA CORCORAN X DELANO X DINUBA DOS PALOS ESCALON EXETER FARMERSVILLE FIREBAUGH X FOWLER FRESNO X GUSTINE HANFORD HUGHSON HURON KERMAN KINGSBURG LATHROP X LEMOORE LINDSAY LIVINGSTON LODI LOS BANOS MADERA MANTECA MARICOPA MCFARLAND MENDOTA MERCED MODESTO NEWMAN X OAKDALE ORANGE COVE PARLIER PATTERSON PORTERVILLE REEDLEY RIDGECREST RIPON RIVERBANK SAN JOAQUIN SANGER SELMA SHAFTER STOCKTON TAFT TEHACHAPI TRACY TULARE TURLOCK X VISALIA X WASCO X WATERFORD 5 5 8/5/2003 CITY COUNCIL SUSAN HiTCHCOCK, Mayor EMILY HOWARD Mayor Pro Tempore JOHN BECKMAN LARRY D. HANSEN KEITH LAND CITY OF LODI CITY HALL, 221 WEST PINE STREET P.O. BOX 3006 LODI, CALIFORNIA 95241-1910 (209) 333-6702 FAX(209)333-6807 citycirk0lodi.gov August 21, 2003 Honorable Mayor Alan Autry City of Fresno 2600 Fresno Street Fresno, CA 93721-7990 H. DIXON FLYNN City Manager SUSAN J. BLACKSTON City Clerk RANDALL A. HAYS City Attorney RE: Proposal for an Executive Director to the Central Vailey Mayor's Conference and Contribution of Proportionate Share to Fund the Position Please be advised that the Lodi City Council, at its meeting of August 20, 2003, voted to deny the request to support the proposal, or to contribute toward, an Executive Director position for the Central Valley Mayor's Conference. Should you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact our office at (209) 333-6702. Sincerely, Susan I Blackston City Clerk SJB/JMP council/corrowleviexsaMagasconfet oc-doc