REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Planned Study Issue Work for Continuing and 2025 Council-Ranked Study Issues (Information Only)
Report
BACKGROUND
At its Study Issues/Budget Proposals Workshop on February 13, 2025, Council reviewed and prioritized the proposed 2025 Study Issues. Upon establishing the inventory of study issues, the next step in the process is for the City Manager to assess the organization’s capacity to undertake the Council prioritized study issues, evaluate their connection to the Council policy priorities and operational initiatives, and balance the study issues with the delivery of core services. This report presents planned work on continuing and new study issues, and estimated start and completion timelines.
EXISTING POLICY
Council Policy 7.3.26 Study Issues Process
Council Policy 7.1.7 Budget Proposal Process
Council Policy 7.3.1 Legislative Management- Goals and Policies
Policy 7.3A.1: Utilize the General Plan as the City’s principal long-range planning tool; utilize the Resource Allocation Plan and Program Outcome Statements as the City’s principal mid-range planning tool; and utilize the Council Study Calendar as the City’s principal short-range planning tool.
DISCUSSION
At the February 13, 2025, Study Issues/Budget Proposals Workshop, Council reviewed 36 Study Issues to rank and prioritize for the 2025 Work Plan. Ten (10) Study Issues were ranked by Council for City Manager assessment and consideration. The remaining 26 were dropped from consideration or deferred for consideration in a future year.
Since the February 13 Workshop, staff has assessed its ability to undertake Council’s prioritized issues, taking into consideration available financial resources and departmental workloads, including capacity for maintaining core service delivery, advancing existing study issues, and beginning new study.
Recommended Study Issues
As outlined in Attachment 1, the City Manager has determined that the organization can begin work on four (4) of the 10 Council-ranked study issues in 2025, in addition to continuing work on 25 continuing study issues from prior years.
All four (4) of the recommended new study issues will require funding to be appropriated as part of the FY 2025/26 budget development process, and work would begin on those in the latter half of 2025 if funded. These will be considered within the context of the City’s overall fiscal condition as Budget Supplements to be considered further in the City Manager’s FY 2025/26 Recommended Budget.
|
Study Issue Number |
Title |
Cost |
|
DPS 25-01 |
Evaluate the Addition of Paramedic Services to Supplement the County Provided Services for Sunnyvale Residents and Businesses |
$100,000 |
|
DPW 25-01 |
Fair Oaks Avenue Signalizations at Three Locations |
$275,000 |
|
ITD 25-01 |
Cell Coverage Mapping |
$75,000 |
|
OCM 25-01 |
Explore Establishing a Japanese American Incarceration Memorial in Sunnyvale |
$60,000 |
|
Total Cost |
|
$510,000 |
The updated Work Plan will include a total of 29 continuing and new Study Issues if all are funded. Every effort will be made to keep study issues on track to meet the estimated timelines. The City’s Study Issues/Budget Proposals webpage will be updated throughout the year with any changes to dates or completion status (Attachment 2).
Study Issues Below the Line
Study Issues not undertaken for study are considered “below the line” and are considered deferred and brought back to Council for consideration at the following year’s Study Issues/Budget Proposals Workshop. This year six (6) study issues were identified as “below the line.” Additional information is provided below:
|
Study Issue Number |
Title |
Council Rank |
|
CDD 24-06 |
Re-evaluate Nonresidential Sign Code Standards and Compliance with the First Amendment |
1 |
|
CDD 25-04 |
Expanding the Role of the Heritage Preservation Commission |
2 |
|
DPS 24-01 |
Evaluate an Ordinance or Resolution Allowing Traffic Enforcement on Private Roadways in the Moffett Park Specific Plan Area |
2 |
|
DPW 24-07 |
Explore the Benefits and Costs of Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) to Establish the Terms and Conditions of Employment for Specific City Construction Projects |
3 |
|
DPW 25-02 |
Improved Street Sweeping Pilot |
2 |
|
ESD 25-02 |
Cigarette Butt Abatement Program |
1 |
Community Development Department (Study Issues CDD 24-06 and CDD 25-04)
Of the 25 Study Issues underway, CDD is carrying seven (roughly 30%). In addition, the Housing Element contains 44 Programs and Objectives (see Section 2.2 of the Housing Element for details), many of which or of a similar complexity and time commitment to Study Issues. Staff must prioritize the completion of these Programs and Objectives to mitigate the risk of decertification of the City’s housing element. Unfortunately, staff did not identify or request resources to handle this new significant workload when the Housing Element was adopted. One full time Housing Specialist was added in the FY 2024/25 Budget and the position was recently filled. Therefore, no Study Issues were placed above the line for this cycle pending making progress on the higher priority Housing Element Programs and Objectives.
Department of Public Safety (Study Issue DPS 24-01)
While DPS is only carrying one continuing study issue (DPS 24-02), the department has a significant effort underway to upgrade and modernize its Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management Systems. Additionally, the higher priority Study Issue to study adding paramedic services was placed above the line and will require significant staff effort to evaluate deployment models that would work within the City’s unique Public Safety model.
Public Works Department (Study Issues DPW 24-07 and DPW 25-02)
Of the 25 Study Issues underway, DPW is carrying nine (roughly 35%). Additionally, the Department is running a large suite of high priority infrastructure and capital projects including multiple park construction/renovations, bicycle and pedestrian studies and projects, and utility projects including the Sunnyvale Clean Water Program.
Environmental Services Department (Study Issue ESD 25-02)
This City’s Stormwater Program Team, which would implement the ranked study issue, is fully engaged in critical Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit (MRP) implementation efforts, many of which are subject to fast-approaching deadlines. These include achieving 100% trash reduction by June 2025, developing and launching stormwater cost reporting and asset management approaches in FY 2025/26, and conducting bacteria source identification and mitigation. The team is also initiating Project 835470 -Stormwater System Strategic Plan and Funding Evaluation to identify non general fund funding opportunities to fund stormwater. The three-member team is also in a significant transition period with a new team member and only one full-time experienced FTE supporting all these tasks.
The City is already actively implementing a range of pollution prevention measures and trash control programs, including business inspections, public area cleanups, and the installation of over 500 structural trash capture devices within the stormwater system. These efforts are specifically designed to prevent pollutants, such as cigarette butts, from entering waterways. In addition, if there are specific locations that have cigarette butt issues, we can take a targeted approach to abatement in identified priority areas.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council meeting agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board at City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Public Library and in the Department of Public Safety Lobby. In addition, the agenda and this report are available at the City Hall reception desk located on the first floor of City Hall at 456 W. Olive Avenue (during normal business hours), and on the City's website.
Levine Act
LEVINE ACT
The Levine Act (Gov. Code Section 84308) prohibits city officials from participating in certain decisions regarding licenses, permits, and other entitlements for use if the official has received a campaign contribution of more than $500 from a party, participant, or agent of a party or participant in the previous 12 months. The Levine Act is intended to prevent financial influence on decisions that affect specific, identifiable persons or participants. For more information see the Fair Political Practices Commission website: www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/pay-to-play-limits-and-prohibitions.html
An “X” in the checklist below indicates that the action being considered falls under a Levine Act category or exemption:
SUBJECT TO THE LEVINE ACT
___ Land development entitlements
___ Other permit, license, or entitlement for use
___ Contract or franchise
EXEMPT FROM THE LEVINE ACT
___ Competitively bid contract*
___ Labor or personal employment contract
___ Contract under $50,000 or non-fiscal
___ Contract between public agencies
_X_ General policy and legislative actions
* "Competitively bid" means a contract that must be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.
Staff
Prepared by: Michelle Zahraie, Senior Management Analyst
Reviewed by: Sarah Johnson-Rios, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Tim Kirby City Manager
ATTACHMENT
1. Planned Presentation Dates for 2025 Council-ranked Study Issues and Continuing Issues
2. Study Issues/Budget Proposals Webpage