Measure U Community Advisory Committee Meeting - July 20, 2020

The Measure U Community Advisory Committee met on July 20, 2020, starting at 6:00 p.m. and lasting approximately five hours. The agenda included a Police Department budget update, development of recommendations on participatory budgeting, proposed changes to the adopted FY2020/21 Measure U budget, a public opinion poll, discussion of the committee's role, and reorganization of ad hoc committees. The committee forwarded several non-binding recommendations to the City Council.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes of the June 15, 2020 meeting by unanimous voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public callers were present, but 17 online comments were submitted. Two comments on Item 4 came from Joseph Smith (Loaves & Fishes) and Bob Erlenbush (Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness), recommending that homelessness funds be spent on encampment infrastructure (sanitation, water, food, trash pickup) and support for safe ground sites rather than equal district allocations.

Discussion Items

• Police Department FY2019/20 and FY2020/21 Measure U Budget Update: Brenda Delgadillo presented the budget, totaling $45.7 million for FY2020/21 with 261 FTEs. Key items included $14.3 million for 115 police officer grant positions, $2.3 million for community service officers, $3 million in overtime, and $1.165 million for body-worn cameras. Members questioned overtime budgeting (actual $12.8M vs budget $3.3M in 2019, but department within bottom line) and requested performance metrics for each program. The committee expressed frustration at the lack of outcome data and requested that the police department provide goals and metrics for the September 2020 meeting.

• Committee Recommendations to City Council on Participatory Budgeting: The committee discussed a letter requesting $15 million be reallocated from existing Measure U line items for a participatory budgeting process, with binding recommendations and a charter amendment to codify the commitment. Mayor Steinberg's July 16 letter proposed $5 million for participatory budgeting in the current year. After amendments (adding examples of cities, acknowledging the mayor's letter, clarifying process costs, and specifying annual increases until 50% of second half-cent sales tax), the motion passed 11-2 (Blackwood and Perez opposed).

• Committee Recommendations on FY2020/21 Measure U Budget Expenditures: The committee debated a letter recommending reallocations: $15 million for participatory budgeting (from economic development), $8 million for homeless support services, $12 million for affordable housing, and $14.2 million for other economic development and youth programs, offset by reductions from police and fire overspend (based on a three-year $40 million police overspend vs. campaign promises). Members argued over specific dollar amounts and the need for measurable outcomes. The motion passed 11-2 (Blackwood and Perez opposed) after amendments to include principles of racial equity, targeting most at-risk populations, consulting community experts, and involving SHRA for vacant properties.

• Public Opinion Poll on Measure U Expenditures: The committee approved forwarding a recommendation to council for a citywide poll (up to $25,000) to be completed by October 31, 2020, to inform mid-year and future budget recommendations. The poll would be annual and include oversampling for underrepresented communities.

• Open Discussion on Committee Role and Function: Members discussed the need for a defined process to engage with council, quarterly revenue and expenditure reports, a calendar aligning with council budget decisions, and a formal joint meeting with council. No action was taken, but the discussion informed the new ad hoc committees.

• Dissolution of Four Ad Hoc Committees: The four ad hoc committees formed in July 2019 were dissolved by unanimous voice vote.

• Formation of New Ad Hoc Committees: Three new committees were created: Process and Efficiency, Civic and Community Engagement (including participatory budgeting and polling), and Budget Oversight and Transparency. Members were appointed as follows: Process and Efficiency: Perez, Blackwood, Dickinson, Murakami; Civic and Community Engagement: Cresswell, Kivell, Williams, Oto-Kent, Ryan; Budget Oversight and Transparency: Ferguson, Pray, Blackwood, Lucas. The motion passed by voice vote.

Key Outcomes

• Motion passed (11-2) to forward participatory budgeting recommendations to council with amendments.
• Motion passed (11-2) to forward budget expenditure recommendations to council with amendments.
• Motion passed (voice vote) to recommend a public opinion poll (up to $25,000, due Oct 31, 2020).
• Motion passed (voice vote) to dissolve four ad hoc committees.
• Motion passed (voice vote) to form three new ad hoc committees and appoint members.
• The committee requested the police department provide program goals and performance metrics for the September 2020 meeting.
• Staff committed to providing a calendar of council budget decision points and quarterly revenue/expenditure reports.