Seaside forecasts long-term funding shortfall; P.G. residents scrutinize chief-sharing deal.

Seaside City Manager John Dunn kicks the sidewalk in front of the Salvation Army church on Contra Costa Street. Tree roots have snaked under one of the concrete squares, raising a corner about an inch – a tripping hazard, Dunn says, and a liability for the city.

It’s illustrative of what he views as a long-term shortfall in Seaside’s revenues. In an April 6 report to the City Council, Dunn recommends four priorities to tackle: street and facility maintenance, through a special tax or capital improvement fund; compliance with tighter federal standards for stormwater runoff, through a storm drainage fee; police and fire funding, through a voter-approved public safety tax; and city staffing, through a combination of cuts and development revenue.

Seaside can’t have it all, Dunn adds. He refers to a “silk curtain” separating the blue-collar city from more affluent Peninsula neighbors to the south. Many Seaside residents are struggling to make ends meet, he says, which is why it’s up to the City Council to decide which new revenue streams to pursue.

At the April 16 meeting, several councilmen raised concerns about asking residents to shoulder more taxes. Others seemed more open to starting a Proposition 218 process for a sewer fee. But rather than take action, Dunn says, the council asked staff to look further into his recommendations.

Public safety spending now accounts for 71 percent of General Fund spending, according to Dunn’s report, despite the city’s efforts to rein in costs. In 2012, Seaside and Pacific Grove made a deal to share Chief Vicki Myers’ services, with the costs split 50/50. The roughly $130,000 savings to Seaside allowed the city to fund an additional patrol officer.

But at the Jan. 15 council meeting, Seaside Councilman Ian Oglesby said Seaside’s getting more out of the deal than P.G. “I don’t mind sharing you with Pacific Grove, because I know as a professional – maybe I shouldn’t say this out loud – we are getting 80 percent of your time and your effort,” he said. “As a police officer, you go where the crime is, and unfortunately it’s here in Seaside.”

P.G. resident Luke Coletti thinks that sounds like a bum deal. “The fact that Seaside feels they’re getting 80 percent of her time and efforts, and Pacific Grove is paying for half her salary, of course they’re happy with it,” he says. “I don’t want to see us spending a lot of money for a resource we’re not getting a lot out of.”

Myers says that’s a misperception; she works 60 to 80 hours per week, much of it at training workshops and public appearances that benefit both cities.

“I am so tired of people saying what I am and am not doing, because they have no freakin’ clue,” she says. “I would encourage anyone to come ride with me for one week. If anybody has any right to complain, it’s my family.”

Dunn rejects the 80/20 split rumor, too, saying Myers gives each city equal time. But soon, it won’t be his problem. The city manager, 79, has announced plans to step down in December.