(8/27) Bill Foster releases Part III of his “Forty Bright Ideas” for the future of St. Petersburg

Installment Three - Budget reductions and cost savings

21. We will implement a service level budgeting process wherein every single city department budget will be reviewed and scrutinized, as will every program, line item, and non-departmental expenditure, and each item will need to be justified and prioritized, recognizing the public benefits versus costs.

22. Throughout the budget process, I will interact with the business community holding "Budget Summits", to gauge public sentiment, and to allow the community every opportunity to decide what is essential to them, and those things we can live without.

23. We will investigate areas where programs or services could be combined or consolidated with another department or Pinellas County government (economy of scales/avoid duplication), or provided by the public sector through competition.

24. We must optimize technology through expenditures of capital monies (i.e. Penny) to reduce labor and energy costs, and further review all future planned capital projects for impacts on the General Fund.

25. Through the Neighborhood Services Administration, I will write a job description for a Volunteer, Intern and Neighborhood Action Coordinator. This person will oversee placement of interns in all city departments, and will market and coordinate city volunteer opportunities to our residents and school system.

26. We will seek out corporate partners for our Parks and Recreation Centers.

27. We will make preventive health care a priority to reduce sick days and insurance costs (health screening, part time physician on staff for employee care, program incentives to encourage employees to lead a healthier life style).

28.We must get creative and offer more options in collective bargaining agreements and in employee negotiations (i.e. flexible work schedules and cafeteria plans in exchange for wage or pension concessions).

29. We must review all facility hours of operation for peek usage and program effectiveness.

30. I would like to create a volunteer support group for the Fire Service, made up of fire department retirees and trained concerned citizens with a goal to provide auxiliary service to the Fire Department thereby allowing uniformed Department members to be utilized to their greatest capacity without interfering with their task. Their tasks could include: providing fire safety education in the community; providing rehab, feeding, and logistical support at an incident; delivery of support vehicles, emergency scene lighting, equipment and supplies; barricade support.

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