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Minutes - San Leandro City Council Meeting - February 18, 1992 Page - 12 - NEW BUSINESS (continued) • they want to be listened to and do not want cuts in certain services, such as Police, Fire, Library, and services for children. She said the question now is how to make cuts without undertaking Assessment Districts. She proposed looking at all suggestions made over the last few months and that the City work with the community to develop solutions, but the Council should not compromise their opportunity to save services people want. She said she was in favor of rescinding the three Resolutions related to the Assessment Districts but wanted to preserve the enabling Ordinance. She said there is still not an 'Assessment District at this time, only the necessary steps had been taken to get it started. She said she thinks a lot of people don't know that it's necessary for the City to notify every affected person in San Leandro regarding the proposed Assessment Districts. She said all possible solutions should be looked at and should not jeopardize the long-term financial future of the City. She said she appreciated the time everyone had spent in giving their opinions. Council Member Faria said he agreed with Council Member Corbett's proposal to rescind only the three Resolutions. He noted the San Leandro City Council was the first Council to ask for a management study to compare management salaries. He said they are the first City Council to take a stand on management salaries. Staff has been directed to work with the bargaining groups to open negotiations, but • he does not believe this will happen. He said 1993 is when contracts are open for negotiation, and the City will be prepared with concrete studies. He said the Council has not been sitting idly by. He said he agrees they should leave the enabling Ordinance in place, but the final amount will depend upon the cuts that can be made from the budget. Mayor Karp said he voted against the Assessment Districts for a number of reasons. He felt they presented a double whammy for businesses, and he did not like the idea of starting new programs. He said, in a time of recession, you should not start new programs; it is time to cinch your belt. He said the Ordinance was adopted too quickly and did not allow the Chamber adequate time for input. He said the increased fees for businesses were never fully discussed with business, and the community was not involved before a decision was made. He said he felt the questionnaire said loud and clear that the people would not be willing to pay assessments. He said he thinks it's time to tighten the belt and work with the community, homeowners associations, businesses, the Chamber, the Manufacturers' Association, etc. He said the enabling Ordinance was an emergency ordinance and signatures must be collected in 30 days. He said even if the petitions qualify they may not qualify in time to make the June ballot but could be placed on the November ballot. He said the cost of a special election could be as much as $40,000. He said not rescinding the enabling Ordinance does not gain anything. Mayor Karp said he felt the Disaster Preparedness proposal was ill -conceived and should be discussed with the community. He said people want to know what they're buying with their money and for how many years. He felt the $70,500 to hire a consultant was a waste of •