The Budget and Government Efficiency Committee, chaired by Councilmember Henry Foster III, met on September 23, 2026, to discuss the city's budget priorities, performance management, and several contract and fee proposals. The meeting began with an extensive discussion of a major billing error affecting 80,000-90,000 households for solid waste fees, leading to a motion to pull a related item. The committee unanimously approved the consent agenda, the FY28 budget development calendar, a safety footwear contract, and new labor standards enforcement fees. An informational item on performance management principles was also presented.
Good morning, and welcome to the budget and government efficiency committee meeting on sep of September 23rd, 2026. Our committee liaison, Natalie Kessler, will provide information and instruction for the public to participate in today's meeting. While members of the public are able to attend the meetings in person, this meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website, and council administration will continue to make arrangements for the public to comment using the Zoom webinar platform. Members of the public who wish to provide virtual testimony must enter the virtual queue by raising their hand before the virtual queue closes. The queue will close when the last virtual speaker finishes speaking or five minutes after in-person testimony ends, whichever occurs first. This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the committee is able to manage and conduct city business. Councilmember Eli Rivera. Chair Foster. Also attending the meeting today is Charles Matica and Tricia Tech from the Office of the Independent Budget Analysts. No further in-person testimony will be taken once the committee begins virtual testimony. Members of the public can join the webinar by computer, tablet, or smartphone by accessing the link listed online in the preamble language of the agenda on the city's webpage. If you need to participate by phone, dial 16692545252. The webinar ID is one six zero, four-three zero, eight three three eight pound. This information is also available on the agenda. If you're watching via City TV channel twenty-four or online, there may be a delay, so participate via the audio on your phone and mute your TV or computer when it is your turn to speak. If you wish to speak on a particular item, wait for that item to be called and then raise your hand to speak by tapping the raise your hand icon. Or if you're a call and participant, press star and on your phone. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. We will now take up non-agenda public comment. The council members respect and appreciate the public's input and are fully committed to protecting every participant's free speech rights at council and committee meetings. Natalie, please proceed with non-agenda public comment. We have two speakers who have submitted some who have submitted speaker slips in the committee room. And there are currently three hands raised in the virtual queue. We will begin with those here in person. Joy Sanyata, please approach the lectern, and you'll be followed by allegedly Audra. Thank you, Natalie. Um first I want to thank Alyssa Slandcard uh for her written public comments of September 2, 2026. The subject uh is city budget priorities and lease revenue concerns. I highly suggest you read her comments. She asks for answers to eight very important questions. Here is my favorite sentence. Here's my favorite sentence. This is ultimately not about one library, one restroom, or one budget cut. It is about whether the city man is managing its finances as strategically and responsibly as it should. Alyssa signed it sincerely, and I found her comments very sincere. My question is how is this my yeah? My question is, have we reached a cadence that has become a locked in algorithm with our budget? At what point of time did we reach the tipping point of this cadence? I have worked with my own budget algorithms recently. Believe me, they can be very challenging to change. Yet my key word for our FY27 budget is opportunities. The important the bigger the bigger situation defect of the budget. Um I don't think that made sense, but I hope it did to you. And guess what? In my opinion, that is what the city is doing right now. We're taking the small opportunities and seizing them. So let's not get too negative love to all. Thank you. Our next speaker in the committee room, allegedly Audra. It's interesting.