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Page 5 of 14 <br />the adopted fiscal year 2023/2024 budget. About half (47%) of the total $538,000 <br />annual training budget is assigned to public safety to meet required training and <br />certifications. This budget also includes Emergency Operations Training that ensures <br />staff have the skills and insights to respond better and faster during emergencies. The <br />remaining travel and training budget ensures that City staff are trained and abreast of <br />changing regulations and best practices to ensure compliance and high-quality service <br />delivery to the community. <br />b. The City has a strong interest in maintaining a well-prepared and trained workforce. <br />Pleasanton consistently pays at the middle of the range for comparable cities (not at <br />the high end of the range), and the City needs to be able to attract and retain high- <br />quality employees to meet the needs and expectations of City leadership and the <br />community. <br />6. Developing a Continency (Reduction) Menu for Service Reductions <br /> <br />In early 2024, staff presented a contingency menu to the City Council. The menu was <br />developed to evaluate spending reductions across the organization. While no decisions were <br />made, the menu provides the community and elected officials an opportunity to see the kinds <br />of reductions that will need to be considered to achieve a balanced budget. The menu was <br />developed with the goal of having every department put forward reductions, leaving room for <br />policy-makers (elected officials) to guide and direct priorities as reductions are made. <br /> <br />In addition to reductions, the City is also taking proactive steps to explore new revenue <br />options heading into the next two-year budget, including: <br /> <br />1. Analyzing and Updating Fee Models (Development Impact Fees, User Fees, Credit Card <br />Fees) <br />a. The City is currently studying potential adjustments to development impact fees (fees <br />imposed on new developments, user fees for City facilities and services, and credit <br />card processing fees). The result of these efforts will be presented to the City Council <br />by the end of 2024. While these sound like “quick fixes”, legally required steps must be <br />taken. And even when the steps are taken, most of these items require the City Council <br />to formally adopt the changes – these changes take time and political will. And, they will <br />not come close to addressing the structural fiscal deficit. <br /> <br />2. Economic Development and Growth <br />a. The City is continuing to support economic development efforts to bring new <br />businesses and jobs to Pleasanton and expand the city’s tax base. Highlights such as <br />the new Costco will bring much-needed new tax revenue. <br />b. However, the City cannot rely on growth alone to solve the ongoing structural fiscal <br />deficit. For example, recent changes in the real estate market, including a notable <br />slowing in office building occupancy and development and the potential for office <br />building property tax reassessments, will be another setback for the City’s budget. Also, <br />development timelines can be lengthy and often unpredictable with environmental and <br />procedural legal challenges, as illustrated by the Costco opening and development <br />delays. <br />Page 37 of 114