Gilroy Dispatch: Please briefly describe your background and experience. Why do you believe you’re qualified for this position?Â
Paul Kloecker: My educational background and general career experience includes a BS Degree in Engineering followed by extensive experience in construction project management and organizational leadership. I served as a career Navy Officer in the Civil Engineer Corps for 22 years during which time I completed a MS degree in Financial Management at the Naval Postgraduate school in Monterey. Subsequent to my Navy career, I was employed as Facility Manager for Silicon Valley firms and was predominantly responsible for new building design and construction projects. I am a Registered Professional Engineer.
I have served three prior terms as a Gilroy Councilman and have held leadership positions in several County and Bay Area governmental agencies. These include 12 years as SCC Transportation Commission with 2 years as Vice Chair, 12 years as Board member of the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) with 2 years as Vice President of ABAG.
I actively participate in local Service and Charitable organizations such as Exchange Club, Elks Lodge and Sunrise Rotary. For nearly 10 years I have volunteered at Gilroy Gardens Theme Park and also Garlic Festival Volunteer for 22 years including Chairman of Utilities Committee.
I have been a Gilroy resident for 30+ years. My children have attended Gilroy schools and my wife, a native Gilroyan, and my son are both Teachers in GUSD schools.
GD: What unique skills, talents, passions, insight or other qualities do you have that will help you govern the city of Gilroy?
PK: My particular interests for City Council work are to be closely involved with City finances and the budgeting process as well as long range planning and infrastructure construction projects. Additional interests are in promotion of cultural events, youth and elderly programs.
My skills include working well with others and promoting a teamwork decision atmosphere. The residents, businesses and community groups of Gilroy have a right to expect trust, confidence, integrity and leadership from their elected representatives. As Councilman, my service to all segments of the community will be characterized by these traits.
Due to my background education and experience noted above, particularly in Financial and Construction Management, I consider myself well qualified to again serve as Gilroy Councilman.
What are the biggest issues or challenges facing Gilroy residents right now and over the course of the next four years? What are some topics of particular interest to you, or important issues on your personal radar?
I believe that the biggest issues and challenges for the next 4 years are to maintain the current conservative fiscal integrity of the City, to maintain and improve Public Safety issues such as Gang Control, Youth Programs, Parks/Recreation and Senior Programs. In the Public Safety and Gang Control areas, a significant deterrent is the early releases of prisoners from County or State facilities. For Gilroy, this is causing an increase in repeat offenders.
Another issue is the developing plans to create a significant Destination Recreation and Visitor community centering around Gilroy Gardens, Gilrtoy Visitor Center, Outlet and other Retail shopping areas. This concept would result in a more vibrant business community and overall economic improvement for Gilroy.
What is your position on Measure F, the half-cent general-purpose sales tax measure on the ballot?
Now that the City Council has initiated a Citizen Oversight Committee, I am supportive of Measure F. Gilroy has extensive Needs in the Infrastructure, Public Safety and Youth Activities areas. Due to my Financial Management and Engineering background and my interest in City fiscal matters, I am personally convinced that sufficient funding is not available in present or future budgets to complete these multi-million Needs in any feasible timely manner. In particular, there is a critical Need for upgraded Public Safety communications equipment and systems at an approximate cost of $4 million. In addition to aspects of Needs, Insufficient Funding and Oversight Committee, I have now been more aware that approximately 72% of Sales Tax receipts in Gilroy is borne by visitors or non-residents of Gilroy by means of Outlet and other retail sales, Hotels, Restaurants, etc. This means that for each $million that is expended under Measure F funds on projects beneficial to Gilroy, that approximately $720K of each $Million is actually borne by visitors rather than Gilroy residents.
For these and other reasons, I am supportive of Measure F.
Some city officials have said that if Measure F doesn’t pass, the city won’t be able to fund a variety of projects, from miles of street and sidewalk repairs to an upgrade of 9-1-1 emergency communications equipment. If the tax does not pass, how would you propose infrastructure repairs receive funding?
If Measure F is not approved by Gilroy voters, the extensive areas of Needs noted above will necessarily be critically curtailed. The highest priority Need, Public Safety communications up-grades at approximately $4Million would require severe Gilroy budget cuts to accomplish. Similar to the recent Economic Recession, these budget cuts would very likely necessitate staff layoffs and reduced lower priority expenditures such as funding support for other organizations. In addition, the pace of infrastructure repairs would necessarily slow to the present unacceptable pace. The streets, sidewalks and underground systems are in deplorable condition due to current funding limitations. This, in turn, results in a less desirable appearance of our community- a visible deterrant to fostering new businesses and residents. Regarding alternative funding if Measure F is not approved, in my opinion, there simply is none that would allow timely improvements.
More than 80 percent of the city’s General Fund supports public safety, including equipment costs for police and fire, salaries, benefits and other related expenses. Do you think that number is too high, or do you think that percentage should increase as our community grows? Why or why not?
I recall that during my prior terms as Councilman, these costs were in the range of 72%-76%.The primary reason for growth to current level has been increases in salary, pension benefits and increased staffing to meet requirements. Of course strides have been made in recent years to cause reductions some of these increases are simply due to increased population and increases in crime rate. Strides have been made in recent yearsto cause reductions such as reduced staffing on fire engines or significant changes to negotiated contracts such as two tier benefit levels. Likely targets for additional reductions are:
- further pension or benefit reductions in future negotiated settlements
- staff retirements resulting in in lower tier overall salary or benefit costs
- efforts to reduce crime rate resulting in slower growth of staff or less overtime
- successful pursuit of state or federal grants causing decrease in need of General Funds
- increased use of cost saving technology and efficiency improvements in all operations
If the City Council and the public safety leadership levels would pursue the above, the percentage of General Fund costs for public safety could be reduced. A significant benefit of such reductions is that the Council would have greater availability of discretionary funds which historically have been limited to 8% of the General Fund budget. The needs for discretionary funds have always exceeded the available funds.
What will it take for Gilroy’s downtown to flourish? And what do you believe the city’s role, and your role if elected to the council, should be in making that happen?
The Gilroy Downtown is a vital business, restaurant, transit and residential area which has presented significant challenges to achieve a flourishing and attractive community center. Changes are underway consisting of implementation of the Downtown Specific Development Plan, progress and resolution of the long standing problem of the Unreinforced Masonry Buildings (URM), periodic entertainment events such as street fairs, car shows, music events, cultural events, etc. Â These events require the continued support and participation of Gilroy residents and visitors. This participation is fostered and advertised by City of Gilroy, Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Business Association and other organizations. It is therefore necessary that the leadership of these organizations forge relationships and coordination to achieve mutual goals. This model of events, organizational support and public participation can only result in improvement to the attractiveness of the downtown and improvement of the business climate. I consider that my role as an elected Councilman is to do my part to devise and be closely involved to achieve these goals.
Are you satisfied with the amount of public participation in local government, from attending planning commission and council meetings, for example, to voting in elections, and what would you do to encourage more participation in local government by community members?
I feel that Public Participation in local government is at a very acceptable level and improving although more is always better. Some examples of good participation are citizen involvement in the General Plan Update workshops and meetings, response levels to City surveys, attendance at athletic or cultural events such as Children’s Art workshop, Farmers Market, Downtown events, parades and other seasonal events. A big factor in encouragement of public participation is the ever expanding City Website where a plethora of City information and data can easily be accessed. I am particularly gratified by youth participation such as the recent applications for the Youth Commission where about 17 candidates applied for 6 Commission openings. This Youth participation in community events is necessarily encouraged by the GUSD requirement that all students must complete required community service hours. Other organizations also are experiencing citizen participation such as Gilroy Gardens, Leadership Gilroy and volunteers for City events such as Senior Center activities or the hard working Graffiti Busters.
Regarding participation at Council or Planning Commission meetings, these are usually attended by applicants or supporters of agenda items. As a Planning Commissioner and former Councilman, I know that these meetings are not necessarily the most exciting events particularly when compared with other higher priority events such as Giants, 49’ers, Monday Night Football, Sharks or Mustang/Cougar events. But then, Council meetings can sometimes be equally entertaining.
Gilroy’s fiscal outlook is improving and revenues are growing, especially when compared to the Great Recession. Like anything, our financial picture can change with the times and leaders may need to make tough decisions to balance the budget. If Gilroy’s budget were in the red right now, how would you go about analyzing where to trim city government and balance that with providing residents with essential services?
The fiscal outlook for Gilroy has remained strong but sometiomes strained as during the recvent Economic Recession. The overall City budget must legally always be balanced except that individual City funds may borrow or loan funds internally to satisfy temporary needs. Severe reduction of reserves is not good friscal planning and should be avoided. Fortunately, the Council and staff have made difficult but necessary timely decisions when faced with economic downturns. This practice has been beneficial in the swhort run particularly when realizing the difficulties of some other California cities which are dangerously close or even experiencing bankruptcy. By critically examining possible budget reduction and taking timely implementation actions, the City Council has effectively weathered the storm and is returning to more advantageous fiscal integrity.
Do you think the city can and should do more to allow members of the public a chance to see behind the curtain during public employee negotiations, whether it’s publishing offers and counter-offers on the city’s website after they’re proposed or opening up the actual negotiation process to residents? Why or why not?
The present process for negotiation with employee bargaining units is that the Council generally sets desired target levels of salary, benefits, miscellaneous contract changes , etc. with the City negotiating team. This team provides periodic feedback to Council as private negotiations proceed. Depending on bargaining process, the Council may modify directions to negotiating team until agreement is reached. At that point,the contract document is prepared for Council approval at a Public Hearing with ample opportunity for any input or comment by members of the public. Prior to final approval and adoption by majority vote of the Council. This system has worked well for Gilroy in the bargaining process. I am not aware of any significant request by the employee bargaining unit to alter this system. In my opinion, the present method should be retained until there is mutual agreement to alter this procedure.
