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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1977-11-15; City Council; 5245; Request for Fund Transfer Building Departmentr— oil a CITY OF CARLSBAD AGENDA BILL NO. , �!` � Initial: Dept.Hd._ DATE:_ November 15, 1977 C. Atty.� DEPARTMENT: City Manager C. Mgr._ Subject: REQUEST FOR FUND TRANSFER (Building Department) Statement of the Matter The City Council approved a fund transfer for the purpose of hiring temporary building inspector personnel on November 16, 1976, by adopting Resolution No. 4037. This action was predicated on the increased building activity, details of which were contained in an accompanying report. For the first nine months of 1977, permits with a construction value of $128,634,788 have been issued by the Building Department. For the 1977-78 Fiscal Year, revenue from plan check fees and building permits was projected at $255,000. As of the end of September, $408,523 had been collected for this fiscal year. The trends identified in November, 1976, have continued. To meet the current demand for service, additional temporary building inspectors and equipment are required. Therefore, the attached resolution authorizing a transfer of funds for the purpose of hiring temporary inspectors and purchasing additional equipment is being forwarded for Council consideration. Exhibit Report to City Manager dated October 27, 1977 Resolution No. Recommendation if Council concurs, adopt Resolution No. 0 Council Action: 11-15-77 Council adopted Resolution No. 5254, authorizing the transfer of funds for temporary employees and the purchase of additional equipment for the Building Department. W DATE: October 27, 1977 TO: CITY MANAGER FROM: Administrative Assistant SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR FUND TRANSFER - ADDITIONAL STAFF AND EQUIPMENT FOR BUILDING DEPARTMENT The 1977-78 Building Department Budget authorizes four (4) Building Inspector positions. in addition, the department has been authorized to hire five (5) additional temporary Inspectors and currently is operating with a total of nine (9) Building Inspectors (1 Senior_ Building Inspector and eight (8) Building Inspectors). The Building Director intends to assign one of the eight Building Inspectors to assist part-time with plan checking, to allow the Senior Building Inspector more of an opportunity to go out into the field to supervise and assist the Field Inspectors. The Director indicates that one vehicle will be needed and can be shared between the Senior Building Inspector and the Plan Checker. One Building Inspector will be assigned to the Plaza Camino Real area to handle the shopping center expansion and other construction projects nearby. It is intended to have this Inspector either drive his own vehicle and be reimbursed for mileage, since this Inspector will be driving very few miles or the Inspector will be driven by another Inspector to and from his work site each day. The six remaining Building Inspectors will all have vehicles available when the vehicle authorized in the 1977-78 Budget is purchased. The purchase of the new vehicle is being expedited, and when added to the present fleet of five vehicles, a total of six vehicles will be assigned to the Building Department. The Building Director is authorized to draw an auto allowance for using his private vehicle on City business. The new vehicle authorized in the 1977-78 Budget was originally intended for the use of the Building Director so that he could be taken off an auto allowance. However, with the large increase in building activity and the need to hire temporary Inspectors, it will be necessary to assign this vehicle to a Field Inspector and continue the Director on an auto allowance. 11, t- i= REQUEST FOR FUND TRANSFER - ADDITIONAL STAFF AND EQUIPMENT FOR BUILDING DEPARTMENT October 27, 1977 Page 2 As indicated above, the only Building Department personnel who will be required to go into the field but who will not have transportation provided will be the Senior Building Inspector and the Plan Checker. The Building Director has requested that he be authorized to lease a vehicle to provide transportation for the Senior Building Inspector or Plan Checker when they are required to go into the field. There appears to be an increasing need for the Senior Building Inspector to go into the field to supervise due to the inexperience of some of the new inspectors and also due to the dramatic increase in activity. There are three methods by which transportation could be provided for the Senior Building Inspector and Plan Checker: Lease a vehicle, buy an additional vehicle, or pay mileage reimbursement for use of a private auto. The Building Director indicates that his employees are reluctant to use their private vehicles in the field because of the difficult conditions to which they are exposed. Since an employee cannot be required to use his own vehicle on City business this does not appear to be a viable alternative in this case. The alternative of leasing a vehicle was evaluated. One of the problems with leasing or buying an additional vehicle is that the need for an additional vehicle in the Building Department is indeterminate in length at this time. The need for temporary manpower, and the concomitant need for additional vehicles, may extend only for the next year, or may extend much longer. In order to obtain a reasonable lease rate, it is necessary to enter into an extended lease agreement. Under the circumstances, there does not appear to be any advantage to the City by leasing a vehicle. The need for an additional vehicle in the Building Department is projected to extend at least through the end of the current fiscal year. There will be a need to replace existing fleet vehicles during the next fiscal year due to high mileage and increasing maintenance costs. Any new vehicle which is no longer needed in the Building Department can be used to replace vehicles in other departments, or may be used to replace vehicles with high mileage in the Building Department fleet. K K REQUEST FOR FUND TRANSFER - ADDITIONAL STAFF AND EQUIPMENT FOR BUILDING DEPARTMENT October 27, 1977 Page 3 The most economical course of action at this point would be to buy an additional vehicle to temporarily increase the number of vehicles in the Building Department. When no longer needed by the Building Department, the extra vehicle can be used to replace another vehicle in the City fleet that needs to be retired from service. The Building Director is also requesting the purchase of two portable 2-way radios for the use of Field Inspectors. One radio would be used by the Inspector assigned to the Plaza Camino Real expansion and the other radio would be used by the Building Director since he uses his own private vehicle and it is not radio equipped. With the purchase of two portable radios, the Director and all Field Inspectors would have radio c,mmunication available, which would reduce mileage and travel time considerably. If the request for an additional vehicle and two portable radios is approved, the department would be equipped as summarized below: POSITION VEHICLE RADIO 1 Building Director Private/ 1 Portable Auto Allowance 1 Senior Building 1 City Vehicle/ In Vehicle Inspector Shared with Plan Checker 1 Plan Checker I City Vehicle/ In Vehicle Shared with Senior Building Inspector 1 Inspector Mileage Reimburse- 1 Portable (Plaza Area) ment/or Driven to Site 6 Field Building Inspectors 6 City Vehicles In Vehicle K REQUEST FOR FUND TRANSFER - ADDITIONAL STAFF AND EQUIPMENT FOR BUILDING DEPARTMENT October 27, 1977 Page 4 FUND TRANSFER The 1977-78 Building Department Budget authorized $30,000 for temporary salaries. This amount was based on the need to hire three (3) temporary Inspectors and one temporary Clerk Typist for approximately six months. Not only will it be necessary to retain the three temporary Inspectors and the Clerk Typist, it has been necessary to add two additional temporary Inspectors. Based on the number of permits issued so for this year, it appears that all the temporary personnel will be needed for the balance of this fiscal year. In order to provide funds to pay temporary salaries for the balance of the fiscal year, an additional $45,000 will be needed. If the City Council approves the request of the Building Director, funds in the amount of $51,800 should be transferred to the Building Department ($45,000 temporary salaries, and $5,000 for an additional vehicle, and $1,800 for portable radios with chargers). FRAN N. MANNEN Administrative Assistant FNM:vm r- 1 RESOLUTION NO. 5254 2 RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING 3 THE TRANSFER OF FUNDS FOR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES AND THE PURCHASE OF ADDITIONAL 4 EQUIPMENT FOR THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT. 5 BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, 6 California, as follows: 7 1. That the transfer of forty-five thousand dollars ($45,000) 8 for temporary employees in the Building Department from the General 9 Bund unappropriated balance is hereby authorized and approved. 10 2. That the transfer of sixty-eight hundred dollars ($6,800) 11 for the purchase of an automobile and two portable two-way radios 12 in the Building Department from the General Fund unappropriated 13 balance is hereby authorized and approved. 14 3. That the Department of Finance Request for Transfer of 15 Funds No. 5 is on file in said department and incorporated by 16 reference herein, is approved, 17 PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the City of Carlsbad, 18 California at a regular meeting held the 15th day of November 19 1977. 20 AYES: Councilmen Frazee, Lewis, Packard, Skotnicki and Councilwoman Casler 21 NOES: None 22 ABSENT: None 23 )/ ,, R BERT C. FRAZEE, Miy—oizor 24 ATTEST: 25 d&Z6 MARGARET E. ADAMS, City Cle 26 ALETHA RAUTENKRANZ, Deputy City Clerk (SEAL) 27 28