CC MINS 20250417 ADJ (Budget Workshop - General Fund) MINUTES
RANCHO PALOS VERDES CITY COUNCIL
111 ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING/BUDGET WORKSHOP
APRIL 17, 2025
CALL TO ORDER:
The Adjourned Regular of the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council was called to order by
Mayor Bradley at 6:13 P.M. at Fred Hesse Jr. Community Park, McTaggart Hall, 29301
Hawthorne Boulevard. This meeting took place both in person and remotely. Remote
participation by any Councilmember was in accordance with Government Code Section
54953. Members of the public could observe and participate using the Zoom participation
feature and with options called out in the public participation form provided under a
separate cover with the agenda. Notice having been given with affidavit thereto on file.
ROLL CALL:
City Council roll call was answered as follows:
PRESENT: Ferraro, Lewis, Perestam, Seo, and Mayor Bradley
ABSENT: None
Also present were Ara Mihranian, City Manager; Catherine Jun, Deputy City Manager;
Vina Ramos, Director of Finance; Robert Moya, Deputy Director of Finance; Brandy
Forbes, Director of Community Development (via Zoom); Ramzi Awwad, Director of
Public Works; Daniel Trautner, Director of Recreation and Parks; James O'Neill, Senior
Administrative Analyst; Nathan Zweizig, Acting Deputy City Clerk (via zoom), and
Teresa Takaoka, City Clerk.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Director of Finance Vina Ramos.
APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA:
Councilmember Ferraro moved, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Seo, to approve the
agenda as presented.
The motion passed on the following roll call vote:
AYES: Ferraro, Lewis, Perestam, Seo and Mayor Bradley
NOES: None
PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR NON-AGENDA ITEMS:
None.
REGULAR BUSINESS:
1. Consideration to receive a report on the FY 2024-25 year-end estimates and
review of the preliminary budget assumptions for developing the FY 2025-26
General Fund budget (Ramos/Moya/O'Neill)
City Clerk Takaoka reported that there was no late correspondence, and there were
no requests to speak.
City Manager Mihranian provided an introduction of the item and introduced the
Finance Director Ramos who presented a staff report and PowerPoint presentation
along with Deputy Director Moya and Senior Administrative Analyst O'Neill.
Discussion ensued among Council Members and questions were asked of Staff.
Recommendations were voted on as follows:
Mayor Bradley moved, seconded by Councilmember Lewis to approve: 1) Received
and filed the update on FY 2024-25 year-end estimates; and 2) Approved closing the
r $2.8 million Los Angeles County Supervisor Hahn's Social Program Grant on June
30, 2025 and allocating the remaining balance of approximately $570,000 to the
Capital Infrastructure Program (CIP) Fund for landslide emergency and mitigation
efforts.
The motion passed on the following roll call vote:
AYES: Ferraro, Lewis, Perestam, Seo and Mayor Bradley
NOES: None
Mayor Bradley moved, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Seo, to affirm the FY 2025-26
budget assumptions which include: Revenue projections of$41.6 million which
includes continuing the 3% Utility User Tax rate and Transfers-In of $250,000,
Personnel costs of$15.8 million consisting of the following:
a. Including all existing and approved positions for competitive, part-time,
confidential, elected officials, and management;
b. Using assumptions based on current labor agreements for the cost-of-living
adjustment (COLA), performance merits, and benefits;
c. Adding one full-time Public Safety Manager (City Manager - Public Safety
Division);
d. Adding one full-time Recreation Coordinator (Recreation and Parks, Open
Space);
e. Reclassifying one Accounting Clerk position (Finance);
f. Continuing to underfill Accounting Supervisor (Finance);
g. Continuing to freeze Executive Assistant (City Manager); and
h. Continuing to freeze GIS Coordinator (Community Development).
The motion passed on the following roll call vote: I
City Council Minutes
Budget Workshop
April 17, 2025
Page 2 of 4
AYES: Ferraro, Lewis, Perestam, Seo and Mayor Bradley
NOES: None
Mayor Pro Tern Seo moved, seconded by Mayor Bradley, to affirm the FY 2025-26
budget assumptions which include: the non-personnel costs of$21.0 million,
including one-time expenditures and contingency budget for emergency repairs in
General Fund.
The motion passed on the following roll call vote:
AYES: Ferraro, Lewis, Perestam, Seo and Mayor Bradley
NOES: None
Mayor Bradley moved, seconded by Councilmember Ferraro, to affirm the FY 2025-
26 budget assumptions which include: Transfers-Out of$4.2 million, including $3.9
million to the CIP Fund and Other Funds; and, Transfers-out of$889,500 of
additional transfers to the CIP Fund in accordance with the City Council Reserve
Policy No. 41 and $400,000 to the Employee Pension Service Fund in accordance
with the Pension Guidelines.
The motion passed on the following roll call vote:
III AYES: Ferraro, Lewis, Perestam, Seo and Mayor Bradley
NOES: None
Councilmember Lewis moved, seconded by Mayor Pro Tern Seo, to approve Funding
priorities for the projected FY 2025-26 positive variance of$620,200 (projected
revenues, minus operating expenditures, minus annual transfers) as an additional
transfer to the CIP fund.
The motion passed on the following roll call vote:
AYES: Ferraro, Lewis, Perestam, Seo and Mayor Bradley
NOES: None
Mayor Bradley moved, seconded by Mayor Pro Tern Seo, reviewed Staffs report on
Fiscal Sustainability in response to the City Council's direction at the March 17 City
Council Goal Workshop, and provided Staff direction on the following:
i. Conduct further research on potential revenue sources for FY 2025-26 and future
years:
• Revenue sources for FY 2025-26:
o Affirmed reinstating the 1972 Landscaping/Lighting District
Assessments, as approved by the City Council on April 15, 2025,
with a potential fiscal impact to increase revenues by approximately
—$300,000 to —350,000.
City Council Minutes
Budget Workshop
April 17, 2025
Page 3 of 4
o Approved reinstating CPI-U adjustments in the Master Fee
Schedule, with a potential fiscal impact to increase revenues by
approximately -$130,000
o Deferred reinstating the business taxes that were previously set to
$0 for the Home Occupation businesses and Small Businesses
until further information is provided to the City Council at a future
meeting.
• Conduct further research on the following potential revenue sources and
present information for the City Council's consideration at a future
meeting:
o Storm Drain Fees
o Transient Occupancy Tax
o UUT — gas, electric, water, telecommunication
o Franchise Tax
ii. Approved to receive the cost containment strategies applied in the FY 2025-26
budget assumptions; and
iii. Approved to receive the FAC's recommendations from the April 3, 2025 meeting.
The motion passed on the following roll call vote:
AYES: Ferraro, Lewis, Perestam, Seo and Mayor Bradley
NOES: None
ADJOURNMENT
At 8:38 P.M., Mayor Bradley adjourned to April 29, 2025 at 6:00 P.M. for a Budget
Workshop (CIP).
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David L. Bradley, Mayor
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Attest:
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Ter a-Takaoka, City Clerk
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City Council Minutes
Budget Workshop
April 17, 2025
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