The Coronado City Council accepted reports on both its urban forest program and its midyear budget review during its March 5 meeting.
The budget’s general fund balance sits at $521,249 higher than predicted. City revenue is about $2.5 million higher than anticipated, while expenditures were $1,763,451 higher than projected, said John Kim, the city’s administrative services director. The city has made an additional $215,300 in transfers out to the vehicle equipment replacement fund to replace vehicles that were in collisions earlier this year and must be replaced.
The higher revenue came largely from transient occupancy tax, an increase in restaurant and concessionaire rent going into the golf services fund, and higher investment revenues.
Originally, projected investment yields were based on the preceding four fiscal quarters’ average yields, which ranged from 0.75 and 2.28 percent at the time of budget preparation. However, the yield as of January was about 4 percent.
This increase is projected to continue, Kim said, in part because in February, the City Council approved moving some of its investments into higher-yield accounts after Councilmember John Duncan requested the city look more closely at its investment returns.
Since then, the city has moved $40 million in funds — half into U.S. Treasury Bills, and half into an investment portfolio with California Asset Management Program. It is in the process of moving $30 million more, which Kim says should hold investment yields up.
Increased expenses came from needed overtime for public safety staff (due to retirements and other leave), contracts and services, additional tree trimming, street projects and expenditures related to the Jan. 22 storm and its subsequent flooding.
The city’s urban forestry program, which oversees more than 9,000 trees in city right-of-ways is “the envy of everyone around,” said City Council Member Carrie Downey.
Arturo Valdiva, the city’s parks and beaches supervisor, gave an overview of the city’s program and its future goals. Some victories, he said, include that the city has seen a reduction in illegally planted trees (usually fruit trees) and that its implementation of tree bubblers has increased survival rates of young trees.
Goals include moving from a 6- to 7-year trim cycle to a 4- to 5-year cycle, which will improve tree health, planting two large trees at Spreckels Park, and assessing city needs moving forward when two of the city’s tree-trimmers retire. Those trimmers, Valdiva said, are more meticulous than most, even climbing the trees to cut them by hand. Valdiva also hopes to add an urban forester position for the city.
At past council meetings, citizens during public comment have criticized the city for removing trees and not replacing them. Valdiva said the city tracks trees slated for removal, but that if property owners are difficult to get in touch with or do not provide irrigation to the tree, it can cause delays in tree replacement.
As a non-action item, the council voted to receive Valdiva’s report and to direct city staff to look into potentially replacing a lone Mexican fan palm in the middle of a city park with something larger, based on a suggestion made via public comment.
“I don’t think in my 12 years I’ve received more compliments about a staff member than I have you,” Mayor Richard Bailey said at the conclusion of Valdiva’s presentation. “You and your team are certainly beloved in Coronado.”
