The City of Encinitas has budgeted only $2.3 million for street maintenance in the current fiscal year. That is $7.1 million less than is needed to begin a 5 year program of catching up on the backlog of deferred maintenance.

The street maintenance backlog has accumulated over the last decade.

See Also: The city has been taking out loans to cover shortfalls.

Under pressure of recent court filings and efforts of Tony Kranz, the city released their streets condition assessment today.

The version of the report released today indicates that the city has over $17 million in deferred streets maintenance. The city currently spends about $2 million on streets maintenance and much of that is funded from outside the city. The version of the report released today indicates that $9.4million/year needs to be spent to catch up with the backlog of deferred maintenance.

The Director of Engineering has not responded to requests (sent yesterday) to orient the ETA to the report and allow the public access to the modeling software used to produce the report. There are only two staff working days before Wednesday's meeting.

The city required half a year to review this report, which was originally authored by a consultant. The city is still withholding the consultant's original work and records that outline what changes were made by the city, and why the changes were made.

We will send more information on what to look for in the report as soon as we have a chance to orient ourselves to its contents. A staff presentation of the report will be given during Wednesday's council meeting.

You can read the report here:
http://www.encinitastaxpayers.org/Resources/2010-09-22%2520City%2520Item%25207%2520-%2520%2520PavementManagementProgram.pdf

Please send us your comments on this report.

streets@encinitastaxpayers.org

SEE ALSO:
City denies access to the report:
http://encinitastaxpayers.org/blog/index.php/PMR/?blog=3

Tony Kranz investigates the status of the report:
http://encinitastaxpayers.org/blog/index.php/2010/07/23/streets-report-long-overdue?blog=3

Below is the city's legislative program. This is what the city council says are policies it wants to pursue in Sacromento and D.C.

According to the city's chief contact with Capri and Clay, the city has no record that would allow the public to determine how and what parts of this program Capri and Clay have been working on. Is it possible to figure out?

Follow up email question to city staff (Mcseveny):
Can that information be established by a review of any set of public records?

Written Answer:
"No, we do not receive this information from Carpi & Clay."

See Also: No Competition and Funky Oversight of Taxpayer Funded Lobbyists

Last night the council voted 4-1(Barth) to give Capri and Clay another three year contract. Once again the city's staff report was very thin on all the things these lobbyists have been doing for their $84,000/year contract.

At the state level very recent parks funding lobbying has been given to Capri and Clay. This is all that is mentioned in the staff report. At the national level the city points to a bunch of federal funding, but makes no case that Capri and Clay have done work over the last three years on these projects and are responsible for the funding.

Nothing is mentioned in the staff report regarding the core areas that Capri and Clay have been charged with doing. Are we to assume they have made no progress? There is no evidence they have even done anything to promote the city's legislative program in the staff report.

The staff report is the place for that to be documented.

Sure, sure, maybe the council has been keeping an eye on their progress and just don't want the record in the agenda archives. The majority of the council could not point to recent progress that was being made by Capri and Clay.

The North County Times reported on the vote.

A must read review of the last time Capri and Clay were given a non-competitive contract.

A Look Back at 2005
Encinitas workers get improved salaries, benefits
The City Council brought finality to months of negotiations Wednesday by approving 3.2 percent raises and increases to health and retirement benefits for city staffers...

Bussey said the premiums Encinitas pays to the California Public Employee Retirement System could increase with downturns in the economy.

Encinitas approves worker's contracts
James Bond cast the dissenting vote in the 4-1 decision to approve the contract. Bond said he was concerned that the increase in city contribution to employee pension funds might cause financial strain in the future.

Encinitas must stand with taxpayers
"In Encinitas, the City Council is scheduled to vote on a pay package that would give a staggering 35 percent raise to city workers in the form of a lavish, lifetime boost in their retirement incomes. For good measure, ordinary wages would rise 3.2 percent annually for three years. All this comes as the state government wrestles with billions of dollars in projected deficits, a precarious condition that threatens the fiscal health of local governments."

Encinitas pays city employees well and wisely, by Jerome Stocks
"The employees, not the city, will assume the lion's share of the increased cost of the pension plan enhancement"

Current Situation
The city pension projections assume a 7.75% yearly rate of return and a 3% rate of inflation. We have not found rates of return for secure investment instruments anywhere near a guaranteed 8%, in the private market. Any resulting shortfall will have to come from the taxpayers. Coming hyperinflation is a concern among many economists.

We have been unable to find the city's pension documents online.

VoSD Silence of the Thumbs
...Yet in a growing number of cities, DeMaio wouldn't be allowed to use his personal Palm Pre with slide-out keyboard, or any other electronic device, personal or otherwise, to send or receive city-related messages during meetings. That's because legal and transparency questions have governments at various levels wringing their hands, and, in some cases, retreating...

This is the sort of thing a sunshine ordinance can clarify.