The Folsom City Council held its regular meeting on April 9, 2024, addressing a range of topics including long-term financial liabilities, the city's five-year strategic plan, public hearings on affordable housing bonds, a potential special sales tax measure, and the repeal of a local trespass ordinance. The meeting also featured several proclamations and public comments.
Long-Term Liabilities Update – CalPERS and OPEB (Item 5): Chief Financial Officer Stacey Tamani presented an in-depth analysis of the city's pension and other post-employment benefits (OPEB) liabilities. The city's unfunded liability for CalPERS has increased due to market volatility and assumptions not being met; the city paid $19.7 million in fiscal year 2022-23, projected to rise to $21.5 million in the current year. The unfunded liability for the miscellaneous plan was $104 million (61% funded) and for safety plan $100 million (61.3% funded) as of June 30, 2022. For OPEB, the city has a $100 million accrued liability with a trust fund of only $9 million (9% funded). Councilmembers discussed options such as a 115 trust fund, additional discretionary payments, and the need for more realistic assumptions. No action was taken.
Strategic Plan Implementation Update (Item 6): Communications Director Christine Brainerd reported progress on the five-year strategic plan adopted in April 2023, highlighting milestones in financial stability, public safety, community development, and organizational effectiveness. Councilmember Rohrbough engaged in a detailed discussion with City Manager Elaine Andersen about funding priorities, structural deficits, and the need to align resources with the strategic plan. The City Manager reiterated that a preliminary budget in May will reflect diminished services due to revenue constraints.
Potential Special Sales Tax Ballot Measure (Item 13): City Manager Elaine Andersen presented options for a 1% special sales tax measure. A special tax would require 66.67% voter approval and could generate approximately $29 million annually. The citizens' initiative is nearing qualification. Councilmembers debated whether to place a competing measure. Mayor Kozlowski, Vice Mayor Aquino, and Councilmembers Rodriguez and Chalamcherla expressed support for the citizens' initiative and opposed a second measure to avoid voter confusion. Councilmember Rohrbough initially raised concerns about spending but later supported the citizens' effort. The Council voted 4-1 (Rohrbough dissenting) not to place a city-sponsored measure on the November 2024 ballot. A second motion passed 4-1 (Rohrbough dissenting) directing the City Manager to use existing communication tools to educate the public about the city's budget situation and to include a plan for additional resources (e.g., polling, consultants) as part of the upcoming budget process.
Ordinance No. 1343 – Repealing Trespass Ordinance (Item 14): City Attorney Steve Wong introduced the ordinance to repeal Chapter 9.64 of the Folsom Municipal Code, which had required business owners to provide written, signed, and personally delivered notice before a misdemeanor trespass citation. State law provides a simpler standard. The Council approved the first reading unanimously (5-0).
And convene the regularly scheduled Folsom City Council meeting for April 9th, 2024. Mayam Clerk, will you please call the roll? Council members Rodriguez here, Rohrbach, Aquino, here, Chalem Chairla. Here. And Kozlowski. Here. Okay, do we have any agenda updates? Mr. Mayor, if I may recommend a Pledge of Allegiance first. Oh. Please everybody stand and join me. The United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation. Okay, many thanks. I will go a little slower now. And no, Mr. Mayor, no update for tonight. Okay, great. All right, that brings us to scheduled presentations, and my colleagues are going to help me with these. The first one is a proclamation of the mayor, City of Folsom, proclaiming April 14th to 20th National Public Safety Telecommunications Week in Folsom. Go ahead. Yeah. Hello. Hi, how are you? Use the microphone that's on the stand. Yeah. This is what we voted for. Okay, I'll try this. There we go. All right. Um, so this is a proclamation from the mayor of City of Folsom. Um national claiming National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in the City of Folsom. Whereas, even in times of crisis, the communications dispatchers of the City of Folsom are responsible for answering incoming calls for emergency service services and dispatching assistance to help save the lives and property of our citizens. And whereas Folsom Police Communication Dispatchers are a vital link to our police officers, firefighters, and our citizens monitoring radioactivity, providing information and life-saving instructions while enhancing the safety of all. And whereas the safety of our emergency responders is dependent on the quality and accuracy of information obtained from citizens who call the city of Folsom public safety answering point. And whereas in 2023, Folsom Communications Dispatcher dispatchers handled 93,128 telephone calls and dispatched five fifty-eight thousand three hundred and seventy-one events. And whereas in 2023, Folsom Communications Dispatchers answered 90%, 99% of all 911 calls in 15 seconds or less. And whereas Folsom's communications dispatchers contribute substantially to the apprehension apprehension of criminals and the quality of life of our citizens. And whereas Folsom's communications dispatchers exhibited compassion, understanding, and professionalism during the performance of their job in the past year. Myself, Anna Rorba, as a councilman rep uh speaking on behalf of Michael Kazlotsky, mayor of the city of Folsom, and on behalf of the entire Folsom City Council, do hereby proclaim the week of April 14th through the 20th, 20 2024, as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in the City of Folsom and extend our gratitude to the Folsom's Communication Dispatchers for their dedicated service to our community, their diligence and commitment to keeping our citizens and our city safe. Speech, speech. Oh, Peter. All right. Madam Clerk, we cause call the next item. Okay, your second schedule. Your second scheduled presentation this evening is a proclamation of the mayor of the city of Folsom proclaiming April 21st, the 27th as volunteer appreciation week and recognizing the contributions of our CAPS volunteers. Presenting the proclamation will be Councilmember Chalin Cherla. I'll I'll hand over this to you. Okay.