City's financial future comes into focus at Council meeting

Corey Washington
Contributing Writer
Though Tuesday’s City Council meeting was dedicated to public-safety awards and awareness, the City’s fiscal management became a recurring focus of the session as auditors presented a report on the city’s financial performance for the previous year. The City was also presented with a series of preliminary ideas on how to maintain its financial future and more from an ongoing strategic-plan workshop.

The Council received an update on a 2015-2019 Strategic Plan Workshop that outlined several objectives the City should prioritize for the next four years. The update was presented after the fourth of several workshops the City had worked with the community on for more than a year. Tuesday’s report was presented to help finalize the plan in the near future, said City Manager Ken Farfsing.
As a part of the strategic planning process, the City held four community meetings led by Bill Kelly, an independent consultant, that included about 84 participants in total. The process also included interviews with council members, community leaders and groups, totaling about 27 people. Each group was tasked with completing an analysis that rated key issues which were considered strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT).

The information gathered led to six key objectives recommended for the City, including: ensure long-term fiscal stability, ensure public safety is a high priority, promote a strong local economic base, maintain the public infrastructure, ensure an enhanced quality of life for the residents, and promote a transparent and open government.
“This is an evolving process,” Kelly said to the council. “This evening is a presentation of the formality of taking the input and trying to add some structure so that the Council can ponder which specific program activities you want to go forward on.”
The city’s finances moved back into the spotlight when Terry Marsh, the city’s finance director, presented the city’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for 2013-2014. The report also included carryover appropriations from the previous fiscal year to 2014-2015. The city’s current and previous auditors were also in attendance for the presentation.

The report provides information on the City’s past and current finances and would give the City information it needed moving forward, Marsh said. The independent auditor reported that during the fiscal year the City’s General Fund, which is funded by local sales tax dollars, was $1.9 million above the previous year and expenditures were $1.6 million below the previous year. The General Fund Reserve was reported at $7.6 million and the Economic Uncertainties Reserve Budget was $5 million, Marsh said during the presentation.
The Council later approved the creation of an Economic Development Division within the City Manager’s Department, which required a budget adjustment of $100,000 from the general fund. The funds would be used to help with economic development on environmentally challenged properties since there are no longer any redevelopment agency funds available to support such efforts.
The City Council also moved to authorize the Signal Hill Police Department to accept a $408,500 grant fund for domestic preparedness— a security initiative to bolster homeland security. The City of Los Angeles and City of Long Beach also received similar grants.
Other Council highlights:
Proclamation Forester presented a proclamation to Shanika Taylor, a dispatcher for Signal Hill Police Department (SHPD), in honor of the entire dispatch department. Signal Hill Police dispatchers also received a certificate from Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe’s office in recognition of National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. Connie Szeibel was in attendance to present the certificate on behalf of Knabe’s office.
EOC Forester, along with SHPD Captain Christopher Nunley, introduced Richard Johnson, the city’s new Emergency Operations Center coordinator. Nunley filled in for Chief Michael Langston. Langston and Johnson will provide a report on the duties of the EOC coordinator, expected to be released in the coming year.
New employees Forester introduced two new city employees, including Judith Kamei, the new city librarian with the Community Services Department, and Travis Brooks, a new management analyst with the Public Works Department.
The next Signal Hill City Council meeting will take place Tuesday, May 5 in the council chamber of City Hall, 2175 Cherry Ave.