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Minutes - San Leandro City Council Meeting - June 14, 1993 Page - 10 - PUBLIC HEARINGS (continued) B. Alberta Buchanan, 232 Lexington Avenue, said the $262,000 budgeted for the Library landscaping was ill advised at this time, when the City is considering closing branch libraries and cutting library staff. She said closing branches would cause hardships to the elderly, handicapped, and children. She said she is a library volunteer, and there are only a limited number of duties that can be done by volunteers. She said a fee should be charged for meeting room use. Mrs. Buchanan said there is a lot of waste in the City, starting at the management level , with high salaries, perks, and the use of consultants. She said top management should give up their perks. She noted waste that occurred on her block when the sidewalk was repaired. She said it took six men and three trucks to do a job that could have been done by two men in half the time. She said she has attended public hearings, and the City Council has ignored public comments. Mayor Faria pointed out there is no proposal at this time to close any branch libraries. Council Member Perry said the Capital Improvement projects have a different kind of funding, and money used to landscape the library would not be used for operational costs. Mr. Oliver said this project started about eight years ago. He said the parking lot is deteriorated and the landscaping is in bad shape. He said Dave Bohne is working with a group to design a front area that can be used in a more functional way. Council Member Perry noted 44 positions have been eliminated and management has been cut. Mr. Oliver said the City spent $4 million in Capital Improvements in 1986. That amount was cut to $600,000 last year; and, as a result, Capital Improvement maintenance was falling behind. He said the Public Advisory Task Force recommended increasing the amount to $2 million per year. He said, although these funds could be transferred to operations, facilities would deteriorate and cost even more to repair than if the maintenance had been done. Council Member Corbett said she did not see Mrs. Buchanan or Mr. Johnson at the Work Session. Mrs. Buchanan and Mr. Johnson said they were not aware they could attend Work Sessions. She noted that Work Sessions are open to the public and are on matters not ready for City Council vote. She said the Budget presentation gave specifics on the positions that have been cut, etc. She said the