LCF City Council draws more deeply on reserves, adjusts revenues upward to balance 2017-18 budget
The La Cañada Flintridge City Council balanced its fiscal year 2017-18 budget Monday, funding $359,375 in community group requests before pulling an additional $354,550 out of reserves and adjusting projected revenues upward to cover a series of needed capital projects.
Council members headed into the third and final budget hearing with the task of finding a way to finance a total of $1.9 million in requested projects, programs and services — everything from trail repairs and a woodworking program at the YMCA to improving Berkshire Bridge and resurfacing city streets — with a comparatively scant $745,550 in General Fund surplus.
“To fund everything on this sheet, the City Council would be short $1.2 million, so that’s what we’re looking at at the moment,” said City Manager Mark Alexander.
Representatives from local organizations delivered updates on the programs and services made possible thanks to last year’s funds, and shared their hopes for the upcoming fiscal year.
Descanso Gardens Executive Director David Brown, who retires Aug. 31 after 12 years at the helm, requested $15,000 to connect the site’s two parking lots to accommodate what he called a “rather spectacular but not unproblematic growth spurt.”
“Last year we had visitation at Descanso Gardens of 515,000 — half a million visits,” Brown said, adding the designation made the local spot No. 15 on the list of all public gardens in the U.S. for attendance.
Lanterman House Executive Director Melissa Patton, who is also retiring from her position on Aug. 31 after 25 years, requested $108,375 for the Lanterman Historical Museum Foundation to fund her replacement, and a new archivist, on a salary schedule and $51,400 for operating expenses. The La Cañada Coordinating Council asked for $2,500 to help fund a website redesign.
Pat Anderson, chief executive and president of the La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce, explained how a $110,000 city grant would help fund annual events like the Festival in Lights and cover operational expenses with cost-of-living increases factored in.
“We’re in a bit of a financial crunch,” explained chamber finance officer Carl Johnson. “But we’re also increasing membership, so we’ve been working hard to make the numbers come together.”
Other recipients include: YMCA of the Foothills, asking for $35,000 to create a youth woodworking workshop; the La Cañada High School Music Parents Assn., requesting $5,000 for a marching baritone and vibraphone; La Cañada Valley Beautiful, seeking $12,000 for the maintenance and upgrade of citywide garden installations; the La Cañada One City, One Book committee, requesting $2,000 to promote a reading of local author Ron C. White’s “American Ulysses” in the fall; the LCF Sister Cities Assn. requesting $9,500 in operating expenses; the Community Center of LCF seeking $45,000 for senior programs, exterior painting and two pottery wheels; and the LCF Tournament of Roses Assn., asking for $15,000 for a new animation system, storage sheds and an MIG welder.
Hoping to avoid drawing down the city’s reserve fund, from which $1.2 million was already dedicated in the preliminary budget to accommodate a move next year to a new City Hall building, council members decided to adjust revenue expectations upward $125,000.
“I know we play it very cautiously, and that bodes well for us in the future,” Mayor Mike Davitt said to Alexander and Finance Director Dan Jordan. “But in the scope of a budget this big, to add a couple hundred thousand, I would hardly think it would cause you to lose sleep.”
The council opted to scale back a proposed citywide street resurfacing program and opted not to fund $100,000 in guardrail improvements on a segment of Chevy Chase Drive. Members also appropriated funds from the city’s solid-waste program and decided to revisit a proposed $50,000 monument sign at the juncture of Foothill Boulevard and the Glendale (2) Freeway and $25,000 of landscaping on Encinas Drive at Verdugo Boulevard during the midyear budget review, which typically takes place in late February or March.
Twitter: @SaraCardine
