Measure U Community Advisory Committee Approves FY2022/23 Budget Recommendations on April 18, 2022
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Measure U Community Advisory Committee Meeting – April 18, 2022
The Measure U Community Advisory Committee met virtually on April 18, 2022, to discuss and approve recommendations for the Fiscal Year 2022/23 Measure U budget priorities, receive an update on the Participatory Budgeting pilot program, and approve consent calendar items. The meeting lasted from 6:04 p.m. to 8:14 p.m.
Discussion Items
1. Approval of Recommendations Regarding FY2022/23 Measure U Budget Priorities (File ID: 2022-00801)
The committee debated a draft letter containing priority recommendations. Key discussions included:
- Co‑operative housing language: Several members (Creswell, Sala, Pray) argued that mentioning limited‑equity housing co‑ops was too specific and could be replaced with broader affordable housing goals. Member Thomas opposed removing it solely on grounds of specificity, noting other listed programs were also specific. The committee voted to delete the co‑op reference (5–3 in favor of removal) rather than add other specific programs.
- Facade improvement grants: Member Perez proposed adding $800,000 ($100,000 per council district) for small‑business facade improvements, targeting areas lacking PBIDs and with historical disinvestment. The proposal was supported by Members Sala, Creswell, and others and was included in the final letter.
- Violence prevention category: Vice Chair Williams and others called for a new “violence prevention” category separate from youth programs, covering youth violence prevention and anti‑recidivism efforts for all ages. After discussion, the committee agreed to add this category without specific dollar amounts, pending the city’s budget proposal.
- Metrics and transparency: Several members (Dickinson, Oto‑Kent, Riviera, Cofer) stressed the need for measurable outcomes and neighborhood‑level data. The committee noted that the city manager has declined invitations to discuss performance metrics. A public commenter urged the committee to raise this with the city council.
- Staffing and budget timeline: Chair Cofer explained that the committee will receive the city manager’s budget proposal on May 2, then reconvene on May 16 to finalize dollar amounts for each priority. The current letter outlines priorities with only two specific dollar amounts: $2.5 million for participatory budgeting ($500,000 for implementation, $2 million for community allocation) and $5 million for affordable housing (benchmarked to Aggie Square spending).
- Future housing and definitions workshop: Members supported inviting city housing staff (Danielle) and SHRA to a future meeting (suggested June) and forming a subgroup to develop shared definitions for key terms like “affordable housing” and “inclusive economic development.”
The committee voted unanimously (12‑0, with two members absent) to approve the letter with the above modifications and forward it to the Budget and Audit Committee.
2. Participatory Budgeting Pilot Program Implementation Update (File ID: 2022-00802)
Staff reported that the pilot launched on April 11. As of the meeting, 120 ideas had been submitted online, and eight proposal delegate applications had been received. Six mini‑grant recipients were onboarded to conduct community outreach. The PB project is finalizing hiring a local coordinator. Outreach materials are being translated into Spanish, Farsi, Hmong, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Arabic. Committee members encouraged full‑committee participation in outreach and event tabling. The item was received and filed.
Ad Hoc Committee Updates
- Measure U Community Communications Ad Hoc: Did not meet since the last full committee meeting.
- Participatory Budgeting Implementation 2022 Ad Hoc: Met and provided the update above.
- Spending Oversight and Budget Development 2022‑23: Met on April 6; produced the draft budget‑priority letter and is tracking ongoing work.
Consent Calendar
The consent calendar (Items 3–5) was approved by a motion from Member Perez, seconded by Member Riviera, with a vote of 9‑0 (members Dickinson, Oto‑Kent, and Thomas had left; Goris and Kivel absent). Items approved:
- Item 3: Minutes of March 21, 2022 meeting.
- Item 4: Ad Hoc Committees Membership Roster (received and filed).
- Item 5: Agenda Log (approved as updated).
Public Comments
Two periods of public comment were held. One speaker, Mr. Davis (owner of a cheesecake company in Del Paso Heights), expressed strong support for the committee’s work and urged members to hold the city manager accountable for failing to attend meetings and provide performance metrics. He called on the committee to take their concerns to the city council.
Key Outcomes
- Vote on FY2022/23 Budget Priorities: Motion (Creswell/Dickinson) passed 12‑0. The letter will be forwarded to the Budget and Audit Committee. Amendments included removal of co‑op language, addition of a violence prevention category, and inclusion of $800,000 for facade improvement grants.
- Consent Calendar: Approved 9‑0.
- Next Steps: Special meeting on May 2 for city budget presentation; regular meeting on May 16 for final budget recommendations. A subgroup (led by Member Creswell) will draft definitions for key terms. City housing staff and SHRA will be invited for a future briefing (likely June). The committee also agreed to try moving the consent calendar to the beginning of future agendas per Member Perez’s suggestion.
Meeting Transcript
Thank you, Chair. We are live and staff is ready when you are. Good evening, and welcome to the April 18th, 2022 Measure U Community Advisory Committee meeting. The meeting is now called to order. Will the clerk please call the roll to establish quorum? Yes, thank you, Chair. Members, if you have not yet, please unmute and turn on your video. Member Cresswell. Present. Here. Member Goris is absent. Member Kivill is absent. Member Lujon. Present. Member Mora. President. Member Otokid. Here. Member Perez. Present. Member Pray. Here. Member Riviera. Is absent Member Salah. Is absent. Member Thomas. Here. Vice Chair Williams. Here. And Chair Kofer. Present. Thank you. We have Quorum. This meeting is virtual via Zoom. For members of the public who wish to join, please refer to the agenda for the Zoom link. Once you've joined the meeting and wish to speak, raise your hand, use raise your hand to provide public comment when the chair confirms that the public comment speaking period for your desired item has begun. If you're online, you can click raise your hand at the bottom of your screen. If you're on the mobile app, you can raise your hand by tapping the raise hand option in the more tab. And if you're calling in by telephone to raise your hand, dial star nine. Then to unmute or mute, dial star six. Speakers will be called by the last four digits of their phone number if they're calling in by phone. And you will have two minutes to speak once you're called on. We will now proceed with today's agenda. We'll start with our land acknowledgement. Please rise for the opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's indigenous people and tribal lands. To the original people of this land, the Nishanon people, the Southern Maidu, the Valley Plains, Mewalk, the Putwin Wintu peoples, and the people of the Wilton Ranch Arena, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe. May we acknowledge and honor the Native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather together today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's Indigenous People's History Contribution and Lives. Thank you. We now move on to our first item of business today, which is the approval of recommendations regarding the fiscal year 2022-23 Measure U budget priorities. Okay.
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