February is here, so it looks like 2020 wasn't just a dream. So, let's get going, shall we? This week is largely about dollars, with the City Council addressing issues surrounding how public money is managed and spent and the Budget and Government Efficiency Committee meeting on Wednesday. 'Tis the season!

The full City Council meets on Monday and Tuesday. The Budget and Government Efficiency Committee and the Rules Committee both meet on Wednesday. For background on the agenda items mentioned here, click on the agenda, then click on the item and find the staff report and supporting documents over on the right. We'll preview the committee meetings in a separate post tomorrow.

City Council -- Monday, Feb. 3

Today's Council meeting (agenda) kicks off with a report on how the city managed its money during the fiscal years of 2017 and 2018 (reminder: fiscal years begin in July and end in June). In their overview of this Performance Audit (read it here), the City Auditor's office commented, "For most City residents, independently assessing the City’s financial health is a daunting task requiring detailed analysis of the City’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports and Fiscal Year Budgets. These documents can be technical, lengthy, and not particularly designed for public consumption." No kidding!

With its performance audit, the Auditor has attempted to boil it down using a 10-point test that tracks financial-management trends starting in 2009 and compares San Diego's results with other cities of similar size and government structure. The results are a mixed bag, but largely positive. The Auditor will guide the Council through the peaks and valleys, paying special attention to three metrics that show where the City might improve.

Next, the Council will dicsuss its Budget Priorities for fiscal year 2021, which begins this July. Each year, the Council kicks off its budget process by having members submit their ideas to the Council's Independent Budget Analyst (IBA). The IBA then issues a document that collates and summarizes the ideas, focusing particularly on those that are shared by a majority of the Council members. As we noted when the priorities went to the Council's Budget and Government Efficiency Committee on Jan. 22, there is a strong consensus among Council members to fund parks, libraries, fire and rescue facilities, sidewalk and street repair, and transportation and mobility projects. The Mayor will consider these priorities for his proposed budget, which will be posted online on April 13 and presented to the City Council on April 14.

Finally: Each year, the City Council allocates funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the Community Development Block Grant program, which is aimed at improving quality of life in low- and moderate-income communities. Last April, the City Council allocated CDBG funds for the current fiscal year, which ends on June 30. For various reasons, the city ends up with unallocated CDBG dollars, known as “reprogrammed funds.” City staff recommended allocating roughly $4.5 million in reprogrammed funds on a new City Heights Pool, a Mid-City IDEA Lab, and programs to combat homelessness. On Jan. 29, the Council's Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods Committee voted 3-1 to endorse the recommendation.

The meeting starts at 2 p.m.

City Council -- Tuesday, Feb. 4

Tuesday's Council agenda is limited to "consent" items, which are considered noncontroversial and are voted on en masse, as well as a proclamation from Councilmember Monica Montgomery proclaiming February 2020 as Black History Month in San Diego. The meeting starts at 10 a.m. The afternoon session that normally begins at 2 p.m. has been adjourned. Daytime nap, anyone?