Economic recovery has positive YL impacts

The steadied post-recession economic environment is having positive impacts on the community, as evidenced by the following updates to some topics from past columns:

--A detailed analysis of Yorba Linda's long-term infrastructure, facilities and equipment needs now underway by city management staff is expected to result in recommendations submitted to City Council members, probably at a June meeting, for potential future action.

The study will build on a report prepared about two years ago recommending amounts to be contributed to specific reserve funds focusing on the city's physical needs, contributions that had been suspended for a few years due to economic hits to the city's tax revenue.

The forthcoming analysis will include “a refinement of the city's needs relative to street infrastructure,” according to a recent report prepared by Finance Director Scott Catlett.

In addition to analyzing an appropriate level of contributions to the special reserve funds, Catlett noted the staff is working on recommendations regarding the city's General Fund operating reserve levels, now set at 50 percent of expenditures under council policy.

“These recommendations would distinguish between emergency reserves and 'rainy day' reserves and establish guidelines for the usage of and additions to the reserves,” Catlett stated in his report.

Council last month approved transferring $860,843 to facilities reserves, $475,702 to equipment reserves and $366,605 to infrastructure reserves over a three-year period, dollars to come from actual and projected budget surpluses from 2014 to 2017.

--A state-approved Educator Effectiveness Block Grant will bring $1.75 million in new, one-time funds to the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, according to a report to the district's trustees from Candy Plahy, assistant superintendent of educational services.

The money will be spent over a three-year period to support the professional development of certificated teachers, administrators and paraprofessional educators. Most, some 64 percent, will go to programs providing support and mentoring to beginning teachers.

Funding also will support coaching for teachers identified as needing improvement, “leader-ship academies” for managers, mentoring for new administrators and other program needs.

--Interesting per-pupil target spending levels for the current school year for Placentia-Yorba Linda campuses, based on average daily attendance figures, are noted in a financial report prepared for trustees by James Pham, fiscal services director.

Individual spending levels are $8,398 for kindergarten through third grade students; $7,720 fourth through sixth grades; $7,950 seventh and eighth grades; and $9,452 9^th through 12^th grades.

Average daily attendance this year, including county education programs, is expected to be (rounded) 25,150, anticipated to drop slightly to 25,017 next year and 24,867 the year after.