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In December of 2008 the City's Executive Management Team deferred salary increases and <br />performance -based merit pay equating to 10% of their compensation. In July 2009, the <br />majority of the bargaining groups (POA, PMA, FBA, FMA, SAMA, UC), with the exception of <br />SEIU, deferred their negotiated 4% salary increase and then deferred a 2.5% increase in January <br />of 2010 for the period of one year. These same bargaining groups made several other salary <br />and benefit related concessions to reduce city costs and help preserve front -line services at <br />their current levels. Over the last six months, several meetings have been held with the City's <br />various bargaining groups to discuss opportunities to permanently and systematically reduce <br />the City's salary and benefit costs on an on -going basis thereby reducing the need for further <br />layoffs and helping the City's cash position. In spite of these efforts, the City has been forced to <br />once again reduce the number of employees, by issuing an additional 40+ layoff notices in May <br />2010. While the first and second rounds of layoffs did not have a discernable impact on the <br />front -line services provided to the public, the third and fourth rounds necessitated changes in <br />how we provide certain services. Care has been taken to minimize the impacts of these <br />reductions on public safety, which remains the City's most important priority. None of the <br />layoffs have included sworn personnel in our police or fire departments. <br />For 2010 -2011, every department has reduced their ongoing operational budgets. Reductions <br />range from 8% to 12% for public safety departments and 7% to 17% for non - safety <br />departments. Departmental budgets incorporate various assumptions which include bargaining <br />group concessions. The City is optimistic that we will reach consensus over the next following <br />months. As far as the proposed departmental reductions, the majority are being accomplished <br />through the elimination of funded positions that have been vacant for some time, as well as <br />vacancies that have been created due to retirements and layoffs. In order to more accurately <br />reflect actual staffing, the proposed budget also eliminates unfunded positions that have been <br />vacant for more than two years. <br />The proposed budget decreases full -time employee count by 123 positions for a total workforce <br />allocation of 1512. This workforce figure equates to a ratio of 4.22 employees per 1,000 <br />residents and demonstrates a significant improvement in operational efficiencies over the past <br />several years. For example, in FY 1986 -87, the ratio was 7.5 employees per 1,000 residents. <br />Through a combination of reductions in our workforce, keeping a number of positions vacant <br />and generating savings through systems improvements resulting from our continuous <br />improvement efforts, the City continues to maintain its position of being the most efficient at <br />providing services when compared to the 11 largest cities in California and the 100 largest cities <br />in the country. <br />Fiscal stability strategies incorporated into the proposed General Fund Budget include <br />reorganization of some departments and functions, elimination of service redundancies, <br />shifting of legitimate expenses to non - General Fund sources, and contracting out services when <br />the private sector can provide comparable or better quality service for less cost. For example, <br />the retirement of the City's Library Director in 2009 has provided an opportunity to merge the <br />Library into the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Agency, generating savings through <br />consolidation of administrative functions that can be used to maintain existing programs and <br />services. Several years ago the City contracted out park maintenance services to all but 13 park <br />-5- <br />