AGENDA TITLE:
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Adopt a Resolution Approving Fiscal Year 2024/25 Financial Plan and Budget; Approving the Fiscal Year 2024/25 Appropriation Spending Limit; Approving the Classifications, Job Descriptions, and Salary Ranges for four New Positions; and Approving the Fiscal Year 2024/25 Investment Policy (Budget)
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MEETING DATE:
June 5, 2024
PREPARED BY:
Lisa Noffsinger, Budget Manager
recommendation
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Adopt a resolution approving Fiscal Year 2024/25 Financial Plan and Budget; approving the Fiscal Year 2024/25 Appropriation Spending Limit; approving the classifications, job descriptions, and salary ranges for four new positions; and approving the Fiscal Year 2024/25 Investment Policy.
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Staff presented information regarding the Fiscal Year (“FY”) 2024/25 budget at Special Meetings on April 30, May 14 and May 21. The draft budget document was made available to Council and released online on May 24, 2024. The full proposed budget is available on the City’s webpage at: <https://city-lodi-ca-budget-book.cleargov.com/16366>.
The General Fund for FY 2024/25 is presented with revenues and expenditures of $83,606,240. The remaining fund expenditures are shown in Table 1, bringing the City’s total FY 2024/25 budget to $276,676,890.
Staffing Changes - The budget proposes 462 full time employees, a net increase of ten (10) from FY 2023/24 authorized positions. The recommended changes are shown in Table 2:
• Add (1) Facilities Maintenance Worker - this position is being requested for Public Works to assist with the additional maintenance burden of aging infrastructure and the addition of three new facilities which include the Animal Shelter, Access Center, and 22 S Main St. affordable housing project. The position is being funded this budget year using funds designated annually for General Fund capital projects in an effort to keep up on maintenance of these buildings before it becomes deferred.
• Eliminate (1) CDD Program Specialist; Add (1) Administrative Analyst - the Community Development Department has been unable to fill the vacant Program Specialist position for close to two years, and recommends replacing the position with an analyst that can provide support to Neighborhood Services, work with staff in grant monitoring, budget reconciliation and reporting to ensure compliance with Federal, State and local funding requirements.
• Reclass Building Inspector II to Senior Building Inspector - the position will provide a higher level of support for project development and construction, with added responsibility for plan checks on more complex projects including major commercial and industrial developments. The senior position will also enhance opportunities for training lower level staff and to provide mentorship to new inspectors. The job description for Senior Building Inspector is attached to this report, and the salary scale for the position is as follows:
• Reclass City Planner to Deputy Director/City Planner - the position will double the central administrative capacity in the areas of public engagement, public education, and customer service training. The incumbent will participate in the development of department goals, manage and develop the department budget, and assess current processes and workloads. The job description for Deputy Director/City Planner is attached to this report, and the salary scale for the position is as follows:
• Add (1) EU Business Analyst - additional and anticipated regulations at the State and Federal level as it relates to the energy sector continue to place burdens on existing staff in the Lodi Electric Utility (LEU). This position will support these additional demands, and is part of an overall strategy as it relates to succession planning.
• Eliminate (1) Electric Line Apprentice position; Add (1) Electric Lineman/Linewoman - the department recommends converting one of the two vacant apprentice positions to a Lineman/Linewoman position; this allows for a career advancement opportunity for the existing Line Apprentice upon completion of required training.
• Eliminate (1) Electric Line Apprentice position - based on current and projected workload, the department recommends eliminating the second of two vacant apprentice positions, and is part of an overall LEU reorganization.
• Eliminate (1) Electrical Engineering Technician; Add Enterprise Technology Analyst - the deletion of a vacant technician position and creation of a new classification is part of a larger reorganization effort within LEU to better align workgroups and tasks, as well as modernize and streamline operations using new technologies. The new classification will report to the Engineering Operational Technology Supervisor approved as part of the FY 23/24 midyear budget. The job description for Enterprise Technology Analyst is attached to this report, and the salary scale for the position is as follows:
• Add (1) Senior System, Protection Automation and SCADA Engineer - this new classification is part of a larger reorganization effort within LEU to better align workgroups and tasks, as well as modernize and streamline operations using new technologies. The new classification will report to the Engineering Operational Technology Supervisor approved as part of the FY 23/24 midyear budget. The job description for System Protection Automation and SCADA Engineer is attached to this report, and the salary scale for the position is as follows:
• Eliminate (1) Substation Technician - during FY 22/23, LEU was authorized for the addition of one (1) Substation Technician position to assist with succession planning efforts until such time as a retirement occurred in the Substation workgroup. That retirement occurred in late 2023 and with the internal promotion of one existing Substation Technician to Substation and Metering Supervisor, this additional vacant position is no longer needed.
• Eliminate Senior Payroll Technician position; Add Payroll Technician - the department opted to recruit for a vacant Senior Payroll Technician position at the Payroll Technician level, which allowed for an internal promotional recruitment.
• Eliminate (1) Customer Service Representative (CSR) - vacant position is no longer needed. Due to the consistent vacancy in the position, the department worked to reorganize the workload amongst all CSRs in order to continue providing customer services to our residents. The salary savings of the vacant position was taken into account for the creation of the Economic Development Director.
• Reclass Administrative Analyst (Confidential) to Management Analyst (Confidential) - the Human Resources incumbent has been performing work at the level of Management Analyst. Projects include policies and procedures updates, oversight of numerous recruitments, open enrollment/benefits administration, preparing Requests for Proposals for benefit plans, contract administration and providing oversight to subordinate staff.
• Reclass Parks Project Coordinator to Parks & Property Superintendent - in addition to parks project duties, the incumbent has been performing work at the level of Parks & Property Superintendent, such as fleet and inventory management of the department's equipment, and repair of all parks, properties, facilities, landscaped areas and grounds of the department.
• Add (1) Fleet Services Supervisor - as part of the strategic planning goals for Fleet Services, this position will supervise the Fleet Coordinator and the repair, maintenance and service of vehicles and heavy equipment performed by the division’s mechanics. With the City’s fleet growing and becoming more complex, this position will allow the Fleet Superintendent to focus on the administrative oversight of the division and addressing the increase in state-mandated regulations.
• Add (2) Street Maintenance Workers - these positions will aid in the department’s updated safety protocols, and will be utilized by the storm maintenance crew to address workload increases. Due to state mandates there are an increasing number of trash capture devices that require regular service, and the City’s growth has resulted in additional storm lines that require regular service. The added positions will aid the City’s ability to maintain the growing storm system at a higher level of frequency, reducing debris build up in storm lines to increase flow and reduce the chances of street flooding.
• Add (5) Water/Wastewater Maintenance Workers - these positions will aid in the department’s updated safety protocols, and will be utilized to conduct all preventative maintenance vital to the operation and overall health of the wastewater collection and water distribution systems, including wastewater closed-circuit television (CCTV) and water valve exercising.
• Add (1) Water/Wastewater Maintenance Worker III - this position will aid in the department’s updated safety protocols, and will work as crew lead of the preventative maintenance vital to the operation and overall health of the wastewater collection and water distribution systems, including wastewater closed-circuit television (CCTV) and water valve exercising.
• Add (1) Parks Maintenance Worker - as requested by Council at the May 21 Special Meeting, staff has reviewed funding source options for an additional Parks Maintenance Worker position in the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department. To mitigate additional General Fund department budget cuts, staff proposes funding from an increase in the General Fund vacancy savings assumption.
Capital Project Funding Change - as requested by Council at the May 21 Special Meeting, $600,000 in funding for the DeBenedetti Park-Cricket Sports Lighting project (CIP 219) is reallocated to the Salas Park Sports Lighting project (CIP 189). Project forms are attached to this report.
FY 2021/22 One-Time Funds - Staff recommends approving the unspent appropriations of $100,000 for the Economic Development Strategic Plan, and $750,000 for the Downtown Specific Plan, be carried forward to FY 2024/25.
Budget and Fiscal Policies - Staff recommends the City Council adopt the Budget and Fiscal Policies contained within the budget. Changes from the prior year are: correction of position titles, and language in the Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) and Property Insurance Funds. The OPEB language update is related to the use of excess fund balance as part of the General Fund’s FY 2024/25 budget balancing measures, and was discussed with City Council at a special meeting held on May 14, 2023. Property Insurance Fund language was added to reflect the creation of this new fund in FY 2023-24.
FY 2023/24 Action Requested - There is one item from FY 2023/24 to address prior to the start of FY 2024/25: Staff recommends a transfer of $2,884,720 from Fund 101 to Fund 100 (both general fund), to account for the associated expenses for providing service to the Community Facilities District. The budget resolution contains a provision to address the recommended fund transfer.
FY 2023/24 Investment Policy - Staff will bring the annual investment policy with the annual budget adoption each year. The investment policy is attached to this report. The changes made from prior year were to correct position titles in Sections 1.18, 2.2, and 2.2.
STRATEGIC VISION:
3A. Fiscal Health: Promote City's transparency & fiscal fluency.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Fiscal Year 2024/25 budget provides an expenditure plan for all funds. The All-Funds expenditure budget is projected to be $276,676,890. General Fund revenues and expenses are projected at $83,606,240.
FUNDING AVAILABLE:
N/A.
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Lisa Noffsinger
Budget Manager
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Andrew C. Keys
Interim City Manager