My Five Major Priorities

By Michael "Mike" Metcalf

The major challenges facing Moraga are in five areas: Infrastructure; Public Safety; Parks & Recreation; Community Development; and Town Government. These challenges dictate my priorities.

PUBLIC SAFETY. Our police force struggles to provide the services our residents and businesses need and deserve. Thirteen officers are barely adequate to service 16,100 citizens, and it has been a challenge to remain at full authorized strength. Thanks to a COPS grant received late last year, we were able to add the 13th officer. A detective position has been created and filled from within. Same for corporal ranks, which provide openings for lower level supervisors. We have made no progress persuading St Mary's College that they should contribute toward the cost of an additional police officer. This remains a difficult issue. I would like to continue to push for the addition of an officer who could handle those issues at the college which require a sworn officer's attention.

PARKS AND RECREATION. Hacienda de las Flores is regarded by many Moragans as the Town's crown jewel, a place to visit and enjoy. Many activities happen there. But the net cost to maintain the Hacienda property is nearly $200,000 annually, a significant price for a 7-acre park with four buildings. However, this is the price of a lovely park that serves many of our citizens. Nonetheless, we must continue to find ways to increase revenues and decrease costs. A brisk trade in weddings continues to be the largest single source of revenue, and staff strives to maintain a healthy share of the wedding market. On the expense side, public works and engineering staffs have completed energy-saving improvements (namely, new furnace and insulation), which have lowered operating costs. Staff needs encouragement from the Town Council to continue their focus on narrowing the operating deficit.

In 2009 we formed a special committee comprising town council members, school board members, town manager, school superintendent, representatives of local sports groups, and the Town's park and recreation director. I served on the committee, which was chartered to study all possibilities for development of quality playing fields. We concluded that only school properties were worth investment as proper playing fields. We identified the field at Camino Pablo School as the best candidate for improvements with funds from Measure WW (which was approved by Contra Costa voters in 2008 and is administered by the East Bay Park District). The field was completely rebuilt in a cooperative project between the Town and the School District. The result was excellent and the field (actually two adjoining ball fields) is being used regularly by organized sports groups. That effort demonstrated excellent cooperation between Town government and the Moraga School District. And it resulted in an excellent recreation facility. The committee also identified the complex of playing fields at Joaquin Moraga Intermediate as an perfect candidate for reconstruction. Combined with the pear orchard across Camino Pablo from St Monica's Church, this school property could be configured with the fields located behind the JM buildings to make a major sports complex. However, a master planning effort is necessary to do it properly. I have proposed this project to various school board members and there is interest, provided the Town pays for everything. The Town should commission a major planning exercise which would involve the town, the schools, sports user groups, neighborhoods, and a professional sport complex designer. The result would be a conceptual plan that would define the facilities, study environmental impacts, estimate capital and operating costs, and identify financing plans. This project was to have been commissioned this year, but other park-related distractions precluded it. It should happen next year ... provided some funding can be found.

As people grow older, their lives necessarily change. At some time during their elder years, what used to be easy becomes difficult, challenging, or simply impossible. Mobility is often the most difficult challenge. In automobile-centric California, having to do without the independence afforded by one's personal automobile can be devastating. How can one get to the grocery store? How to get to the doctor? Just moving about in buildings and sidewalks can be challenging without special provisions. This definitely is the case in Moraga, and will become more so as our citizens age and choose to remain Moragans. Is there a legitimate role for local government in helping to address some of the issues of senior citizens? I believe there is. Local government should do what it reasonably can to help with mobility issues. Two ways among others: (1) Supporting paratransit operations like the Lamorinda Spirit van; and (2) continuing with efforts to make Town facilities and public passageways compliant with the requirements of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). We should continue to encourage and support senior citizen groups like Moraga Movers, who do much to organize activities for our seniors. As a society we routinely make huge investments in our children. We should not ignore the needs of our seniors. Caring for our seniors says much about us as a community.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. Over a lengthy process which started in 2002, the Town Council in 2010 adopted the Moraga Center Specific Plan (MCSP). This plan defined permitted uses in the 183-acre area bordered approximately by Moraga Road, Moraga Way, Camino Ricardo, and a northern border joining Camino Ricardo to approximately Moraga Commons. The area can accommodate high- and low-density housing, offices, and commercial activities (retail, services and dining). The area can also hold a small hotel and some light manufacturing such as a small winery operation. The area can hold some student/faculty and workforce housing, which is of interest to St Mary's College. Moreover, the housing plan can satisfy the Town's requirements for affordable housing (as prescribed by ABAG) for many years to come. Especially eager for affordable housing are seniors wishing to move out of large single family dwellings in Moraga to more modest-size, more densely configured housing. These senior citizens do not wish to leave Moraga. Why should they? The key to seeing things actually happen are property owners who want to move forward on projects on their respective properties within the MCSP area. Two small housing projects have been proposed by separate developers; both are consistent with the specific plan. These projects will, and should be, advanced through an orderly planning process in order to satisfy those who are awaiting the benefits of new housing and commercial developments. There will be people who will objection to nearly anything that is proposed. They will be heard. However, the MCSP process went on for a very long time and the opportunities for public participation were many. The task ahead is to ensure that what is built is done so in conformance with the many provisions of the specific plan that are indented to ensure careful and tasteful development. I was part of the specific plan process from the very beginning, and stayed with the process until its conclusion. I am very familiar with what the MCSP says and, more important, what the plan intends.

The General Plan 2002 calls for a specific plan to be developed for the Rheem Center commercial area. This planning effort has been crowded out by the Moraga Center planning; for reasons of staff non-availability, the planning has not been pursued. Last year, we began the process of identifying community needs and aspirations for the area. Some excellent ideas emerged. However, the process has been hampered by recent ABAG denial of grants which would have funded much of the planning. The alternative course is to plan the area on a piece-meal basis -- which is not the preferred process, but will do. Planning for the Rheem area needs to be elevated in priority. A housing development proposed for the old bowling alley site is likely to be the catalyst for such planning. The housing development is consistent with what is expected to be the eventual land use designation, so planning in this manner is not risky. The Rheem Center is full of good opportunities, which should be pursued. Several years ago the Chamber of Commerce initiated Shop Moraga First, an excellent campaign to encourage Moraga shoppers to think first about shopping in Moraga before going out of town. It has been working, as evidenced by increased shopping activity in many of our retail and service businesses. The Town should help the Chamber pursue its mission to assist existing businesses in their efforts to thrive in Moraga, attract new business to locate in Moraga, and retain existing business. A close working relationship needs to be created and fostered whereby the Town supports the Chamber and the Chamber supports the Town. To this end, the Town is in the process of hiring a planner whose responsibilities also include business development. The new business development person needs to forge an effective working relationship with the Chamber of Commerce.

Moraga has earned a reputation for being highly regulated. This impacts private property owners, developers and local businesses, not always in beneficial ways. It is time to streamline regulatory processes for those wanting to improve their properties, build new homes, and open new businesses. This can be accomplished by thoughtfully reconsidering, and reconfiguring as necessary, existing regulations which are especially onerous. What would be helpful would be a "concierge" within Town government. This individual would be the designed person to whom project applicants would go to learn what regulatory issues are ahead, and to assist applicants win approvals along the way. A concierge could be especially helpful for approvals by county departments. There is no reason why the concierge function could not be available to commercial and non-commercial project proponents alike. A number of nearby communities have such a function on their staff (notably Danville).

TOWN GOVERNMENT. Moraga revenues are predominantly property taxes, over which we have little control. Sales tax revenues have been relatively flat but are gradually increasing. The majority of expenditures are related to staff costs, driven mostly by prevailing wages, which are increasing faster than our revenues. Consequently, the prospect of deficits is an annual concern. Thanks to prudent cost containment, and some good fortune with modestly improved sales tax revenues, we have experienced modest surpluses in the past several years. Unfortunately, the surpluses have been achieved at the expense of deferred maintenance, especially our streets and roads. Three years ago the Town Council set a goal to increase the operating reserve to 50% of annual operating expenses. This was achieved this year. Combined with the reserve funds in the Palos Colorados developer fees, the total real reserve is nearly $5,2 million on an operating expense budget of $6.1 million -- that's 85% reserves, which is very healthy. In addition, in 2010 the Town Council initiated a savings program for infrastructure preservation (IPF), into which any available surplus is deposited. The fund is tiny (only $300,000 at present), but it is a start. Much is made in the Bay Area of the woeful state of city/town finances, largely owing to out-of-control pension and health benefit costs. Not so in Moraga. Our employees are all in retirement programs at the lowest benefit levels of any Contra Costa agency. Our employees are provided medical coverage through health savings accounts, for which employees and the Town share the costs. Last year, our employees accepted new labor agreements which actually lowered our health care costs by about 1%. In appreciation, all employees received a 1% upward salary adjustment. This was done in a period when most other agencies were not agreeing to any salary adjustments since Bay Area inflation has been flat for several years (as measured by CPI). Moraga has no unfunded liabilities for retirement benefits (we paid off our liability entirely in 2008). Nor does the Town have any long-term liability for post employment medical benefits. So, we are in good condition. Much attention has been given to financial stewardship over the past eight years. I played a role in establishing the Audit Finance Committee, engaging new auditors, and recruiting competent finance staff. Our efforts have much improved the integrity of our financial management and budgeting processes. Evidently the capital markets recognize good stewardship: Moraga presently enjoys a AA bond rating. I will continue to resist any temptation to relax the higher standards of financial stewardship that we have achieved.

In 2008 the Town Council suspected that Moraga did not have an expense problem so much as a revenue problem. A special committee was commissioned to study this belief and bring forward some suggestions. The Revenue Enhancement Committee comprised 15 citizens representing a broad spectrum of professional expertise and civic experience (which included two council members -- I was one of them). Staff members were active participants and provided administrative support. The committee's final report (November 2009) is available on the Town's website. The committee thoroughly examined the Town's current finances -- both revenues and expenditures -- and drew comparisons to peer cities/towns in Contra Costa/Alameda. It was clear that Moraga is especially frugal, for instance: Moraga's per capita expenditures are consistently below our peers (in 2010, Moraga $384, Lafayette $407, Danville $433, Orinda $558); excluding police, Moraga's number of paid staff per 1000 population is the lowest (in 2009, Moraga 1.3, Lafayette, 1.6, Orinda 2.3, Danville 2.1). It was also clear that Moraga's revenues are much lower per capita than peer cities: Moraga receives the lowest share of property tax dollar (Moraga 5.3%, Lafayette 6.8%, Orinda 7.4%); and Moraga's sales tax per capita is also the lowest (Moraga $49, Orinda $55, Danville $77, Lafayette $116). Moraga certainly is frugal -- a testament to Moraga's philosophy of "minimum service government." The committee identified major spending needs and assessed corresponding revenue sources. Top of the list was investment in aging infrastructure. The committee further recommended major initiatives in economic development and general revenue enhancement. Identified were a variety of taxes and fees that the Town Council might consider pursuing. The most obvious was adjustment of the Lighting Assessment District, which since 1977 has paid for public street lighting. However, the annual fees paid be property owners had not been adjusted for inflation for many years, the result being that the Town's general fund was paying for a portion of the special benefits being enjoyed by property owners with public street lights on their streets. The fee structure was corrected, requiring an assessment rate adjustment ballot, which was approved by property owners in 2010.

Moraga government operates with minimum staff levels, significantly lower than any of our peer group. Nonetheless, the workload seems always to increase. This is largely due to increased mandates from the State, but also from demands for more services by younger people who have recently settled in Moraga. Many of these new-comers are accustomed to higher levels of municipal services than longer-term residents. Staff manages to keep up with the work and, amazingly, they do so in generally good spirits. A council member's job is to do whatever possible to bolster staff morale and help celebrate successes. This includes taking measures to improve working conditions and minimizing unnecessary work wherever possible. To this end, concentration of staff at the 329/331 town hall complex is a major step in the right direction. Moraga operates under a council-manager form of government. The town council sets direction and makes policy; the town manager runs the town with a staff of department heads. (Only the town attorney reports directly to the town council.) This form of governance works well provided (1) there is an effective town manager and (2) if the town council respects the integrity of the council-manager relationship. We are fortunate to have an excellent town manger, and the current council entirely respects the manager's position. It is working well.