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Minutes - San Leandro City Council Meeting - May 3, 1993 Page - 16 - PUBLIC HEARINGS (continued) Mayor Karp noted staff had gone to the Employees' Association, and the Association was working on not taking any pay increases next year. He said the Association has worked hard with the City, and they have already cut to the bare bones. Jean Coppick, Executive Director of the San Leandro Community Counseling Center, said there are many invisible services that contribute to the quality of life in San Leandro but are often targeted, such as human services. She said this year the Human Resources Commission is recommending the current level of support for human services agencies be continued. She said her Center sees over 600 people per year as well as 600 youths in schools and 157 youths in gang prevention and parent support groups. She said these are important services; and, if kids don't have the counseling or skills they need, they will drop out of school and end up on street corners causing problems. She said she supported the Tax. Mike Pretto, 775 Bridge Road, said he was a City Services Subcommittee Task Force Member and agreed with Council Member Glaze and Susan Riskind-Poulsen. He said he moved to San Leandro because of the services and the schools and because it is a great place to raise kids. He said reducing services would be very detrimental . He referred to a comment by a previous speaker as to whether the Task Force or Subcommittees were orchestrated by staff. He said he could guarantee that the Task Force Members were given everything they asked for, when they asked for it, and there was no direction in any way. Mayor Karp thanked Mr. Pretto for serving on the Task Force and the Planning Commission. Bob Lundstrom, 195 Broadmoor Boulevard, said he is a Member of the Fire Department but was speaking as a citizen. He said he supports the Tax and said the quality of life in San Leandro is important. He said his mom has lived in San Leandro for over 50 years; and, when he asked her about this Tax, she asked how much it would be. He said, when he told her 6/10ths of 1%, she said, if she sold her home, she could afford it. He said, when she asked what would happen if the Tax was not passed, and he told her services would be cut, she said this Tax should be supported. Kai Bender, 261 Begier Avenue, Member of the Task Force and the Seismic Retrofit Subcommittee, said the City Council has done an outstanding job of getting a cross section of the community on the Subcommittee. He said the lines of communication were open, phone lines were available for the public, and every avenue was taken to get input. He said this is the best way to raise revenue, and he said there are a lot of things that need to be improved. He said it's easy to say, "Let's cut" ; but people don't want items of interest to them cut. He said it is easier to educate a couple of hundred people than the whole City. He said, if this matter went to a vote of the people, it would be difficult to educate them.