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2022-01-18 CC Agenda - Public Communication related to Item #14 - CIPAC2022-01-18 AGENDA PACKET PUBLIC COMMUNICATION RELATED TO ITEM #14 - CIPAC Harada, Patricia From: Sent: To: Subject: Attachments: Council received email below. Tracy Weaver City Clerk Begin forwarded message: Weaver, Tracy (City Clerk) Tuesday, January 18, 2022 5:S2 PM *ALL CITY CLERKS Fwd: COMMENTS REGARDING CIPAC Mike Rotolo Comments Re CIPAC 1-18-22.pdf From: Mike Rotolo <mmrotolo@gmail.com> Date: January 18, 2022 at 5:44:50 PM PST To: ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS<ALLELECTEDOFFICIALS@elsegundo.org> Subject: COMMENTS REGARDING CIPAC Councilmembers, I present the attached for your consideration. Thank you very much for your service to our community. Mike Rotolo To: City of El Segundo, All Elected Officials January 18, 2022 Regarding the dissolution of CIPAC Dear Councilmembers, I'm here to speak in support of the process used by CIPAC by knowledgeable and experienced citizens to analyze potential capital projects and rank them in order of importance to our community. I have served on CIPAC for most of the last 25 years, beginning in 1996 (or earlier), except for a few years while I was on the Planning Commission or heavily involved in Scouting. I've seen Councilmembers, City Managers, and Public Works Directors come and go over these years, and the one constant was CIPAC. Several Councilmembers told me (and still do) that the work of CIPAC was among the most important of any committee, as we dove into the details that they did not have time to, especially during budget development months. Since I learned of the proposal you are considering, to conclude the committee, I've spoken with 3 former mayors who all support the CIPAC process and believe in qualified citizens participating who want to be involved. I've served with the likes of Don Brann, Mike Dugan, the late John Gaines, and others who went on to be elected councilmembers, getting great training about the capital project process through CIPAC. I was told when I moved to El Segundo in 1990 by then Councilman JB Wise, that this town was a great place do your civic duty and share your talents, and he was right. This is one of the things that makes El Segundo great- opportunities for citizens who care, to get involved and make a difference. Members of CIPAC have been selected who knowledgeable in public works, construction, and architecture such as me to bring up good questions for consideration, not only from their expertise, but also from a community point of view. CIPAC has been responsible for some great things aside from ranking projects. Suggesting that some funds be put aside annually for both Fire Station #2 and the Plunge after years of not being able to build these projects. Hosting the Community Workshop where citizens brought forward their hope of having a roller hockey rink at Rec Park and to create a sewer connection at the parking lot at Mariposa and Main so youth organization car washes could continue. Listening to citizens about struggling with storm water drainage issues on their streets and seeing corrective projects come to fruition. Suggesting the combining and streamlining of so many projects to save costs. These are only ones that I recall off the top of my head. We ask Public Works and other Departments to take projects back that don't make sense and re-evaluate them to make them better. There have always, and will always be, more projects to build than there is money to spend. This is a given. The procedure that has been developed and refined over the years is an objective way to rank these projects to help Council determine which ones to proceed with. Councils do not always follow CIPAC recommendations, and that is fine, but they can see the detail and understand what went into them to better make their decision. Over the years as projects such as Water and Sewer have been handled by annual budget programs, the number of projects presented to CIPAC have reduced so we typically can go through all projects in about four 2-3-hour meetings over a period of a couple weeks. This should not a burden on staff. Staff also does not have the community mindset or experience as residents to analyze these projects properly and just don't see things the way residents do. The review process should be a collaborative effort with knowledgeable community members, a Council sub -committee or at least one member of Council, and a member or members of the business community. Mr. AJ Paz served on this committee for many years and was not a resident. He was an employee of Northrop Grumman who handled their real estate and provided a voice from business. When he retired that business seat was not re -filled but it could be. The scoring criteria can also be revised and updated if needed. Perhaps also, Council could meet with those analyzing the projects to provide them with insight to anything they have concerns about or desires to accomplish before the projects are ranked. THE PROCESS WORKS, PLEASE DON'T DISCARD IT. Please don't be short-sighted and take the voice away from your constituents, and don't ask people who are knowledgeable in Finance to make decisions about projects that have to do with more than just money. That would be like asking someone like me who has expertise in construction and public works to sit on a finance committee. I'm just not qualified for that. It is your responsibility as elected officials to spend judiciously. Mike Rotolo 640 Maryland St.