Measure U Community Advisory Committee Meeting – May 15, 2023

The Measure U Community Advisory Committee met on Monday, May 15, 2023, from 6:05 p.m. to 8:43 p.m. to receive an overview of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023/24 Measure U proposed budget, discuss and vote on budget priority recommendations to the City Council, and consider the committee's annual workplan. The committee approved a consent calendar, passed three motions on budget priorities (including a $5 million recommendation for participatory budgeting), and deferred the 2023 workplan to the June 19 regular meeting.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of April 17, 2023 Meeting Minutes – Passed unanimously (10-0, Member Byrd absent).
• Approval of Updated Agenda Log – Passed unanimously as part of the consent calendar.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Lambert Davis (on Item 3): Expressed strong support for Measure U but urged savings by not giving raises to remote workers, stating remote employees "should be fired" if working from another state. He later (during Matters Not on the Agenda) criticized the budget process, claiming Measure U money was not being used as originally promoted and that the application process was a "nightmare."
• L. Whiteside (on Item 3): Called for increased funding for violence prevention programs, citing rising crime.
• Aaron Cardoza (on Item 4): Expressed support for Measure U, especially violence prevention efforts.
• Barry Boyd (on Item 4): Stated that all public funding requires audits and questioned why no funding for participatory budgeting was included in the proposed budget despite the mayor's support.

Discussion Items

• Item 3 – Overview of FY 2023/24 Measure U Proposed Budget – Budget Manager Mirthala Santizo presented the proposed budget. Key points:

  • Measure U revenues: ~$135 million; expenditures: ~$142 million (including $28.6 million in multi-year operating projects and $2.7 million in capital).
  • Approximately 894 FTEs budgeted.
  • The combined General Fund/Measure U forecast shows a surplus of ~$1.1 million in FY 2024, but a deficit beginning in FY 2025.
  • Homelessness funding is nearly fully funded through state HAP funds ($19 million) and one-time ARPA/Whole Person Care funds ($10 million); Measure U's direct contribution drops from $11 million (FY23 approved) to ~$3 million (FY24 proposed) due to other funding sources.
  • Committee members asked about programmatic metrics, participatory budgeting funding, and specific program details. Multiple members expressed frustration at the lack of outcome data to evaluate the impact of Measure U spending.

• Item 4 – Development of FY 2023/24 Measure U Budget Priorities – The committee debated and passed three motions:

  1. Motion (Diaz/Goris): Recommend City Council invest $5 million in participatory budgeting for FY 2023/24. Passed 10-0.
  2. Motion (Diaz/Wolf): Recommend City Council prioritize expenditures based on the committee's survey results, include descriptive verbiage for each category, and request metrics consistent with committee discussion. Passed 10-0.
  3. Motion (Goris/Salas): Authorize Vice Chair Duke Cooney to draft formal recommendations for approval at a special meeting on May 22, 2023. Passed 10-0.

• Item 5 – Development of 2023 Annual Workplan and Calendar – Motion (Wolf/Paschal) to continue this item to the June 19, 2023 regular meeting. Passed 10-0.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar approved (10-0).
• $5 million participatory budgeting recommendation (10-0).
• Priority expenditure framework and metrics request adopted (10-0).
• Vice Chair Cooney authorized to draft budget recommendation letter for special meeting on May 22, 2023 (10-0).
• 2023 Workplan deferred to June 19 regular meeting (10-0).
• Staff noted that participatory budgeting grant contracts are still in process; no data expected for several months. The committee also discussed the pending council action on forming a budget subcommittee.