Porterville City Council to discuss budget tonight,

Tonight’s Porterville City Council meeting at 6:30 will be host to several important discussions. The Council will be considering the adoption of the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 budget, among several other things.

On June 30, city staff requested the Council wait to adopt an official budget for the 2020-2021 Fiscal Year, until October 6, when they could gain better insights and produce better estimates on budgetary numbers due to the undetermined effects the COVID-19 pandemic would have on the city’s budget. This means tonight, the City Council will host a public hearing on the proposed budget, before voting on adoption and implementation of the budget. If approved, the budget would become effective immediately, and continue to remain in effect until June 30, 2021.

According to the staff report attached to tonight’s agenda, city staff has projected the effects of the pandemic will have the highest impact on sales and use tax revenues. City staff also projects the General Fund will break even for this Fiscal Year. It’s also projected the sales and use tax is to be negatively impacted by 10 percent, which is equivalent to a $2 million decrease.

Because the city had conserved funds from previous years, the General Fund reserves total roughly $15 million.

According to the staff report, “With a revenue estimate of $26,792,038 and expenditure estimate of $29,671,688, the General Fund could experience a $3,105,388 deficit after transfers. In lieu of using reserves given the uncertain economic forecast, staff recommends the transfer of up to $2,000,000 in Measure I revenues toward the deficit, with City department expenditure control to address the remaining deficit. The transfer of $2,000,000 in Measure I revenues would be offset by $2,000,000 in additional local transportation funds for designated street improvement projects provided by federal CARES Act transportation funding.”

The staff report also states although the library isn’t in operation right now, staff is recommending that budget funding be allotted for the library as if it was in operation.

When it comes to budgeting for street improvement projects, the Council had previously approved more than $21 million in projects, and approved an additional $11 million project at a special meeting to establish priority projects, which included the ongoing construction on Henderson Avenue.

The staff report also clearly states that a focus for this upcoming fiscal year will be the “development of an interim Library facility and planning for a new community Library facility.” Other major projects to include in the budget as outlined in the staff report include the construction of the Tule River Parkway Phase III, development of the new Animal Shelter Facility, and the design of the former J.C. Penney property into a public parking lot.

“Implementation of electrified microtransit, and coordination with Caltrans on community welcome signs on State Routes 65 and 190 will also be significant staff projects this fiscal year,” reads the staff report.

The Council will host a public hearing on this matter to gain feedback from the public in regards to the proposed budget. Those who would like to submit a comment to be read aloud during the proper time of the public hearing, email them to Councilmeetingcomments@ ci.porterville.ca.us.

Other items on the Council agenda tonight include the consideration of interview procedures to follow in the next step of the cannabis dispensary operating permit process.

Now that the applicants who have submitted the Request For Proposal (RFP’S) for operating permits have been scored, the Council will choose how to proceed in order to choose the top two applicants who have qualified. In order to have qualified for the interview with the Council, the applicant must have scored a 75 percent or higher on the RFP’S terms and conditions.

City staff is recommending to host blind interviews and implement a random method. This means the Council won’t know what the applicant’s RFP score is prior to the interview, and that interviews will be conducted randomly. Staff is recommending the Council conduct the interviews during a special City Council meeting on October 22 beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Staff recommends the interviews be broken into two parts, a 10 minute presentation from the applicant, followed by a 10 minute question and answer period with the Council. If the Council approves the blind interview method, the scoring criteria for the interviews will be held until after the interviews are completed. Each interview will have a 25 point possibility, and each City Council member will be able to score the interviews by handing out one to five points. Staff is recommending the Council review their scores and announce the top two applicants on November 3, after which those selected can apply for their state operating license.

This meeting of the Porterville City Council is set to take place tonight, beginning at 6:30 p.m.those who would like to submit a comment to be read aloud during Oral Communications or the public hearing, email them to Councilmeetingcomments@ ci.porterville.ca.us To view this meeting via livestream, visit https:// www.youtube.com/chanNEL/UC5KUHSRNMNL9Nwhjvtnjvva