Photo

Danville officials will host an annual planning and goal setting workshop on Feb. 1 to discuss guidelines and receive updates to various development initiatives.

The daylong workshop will be held at Crow Canyon Country Club (711 Silver Lake Dr., Danville) beginning at 9 a.m. and will be a continuation of discussions from previous years, Assistant to the Town Manager Nat Rojanasathira said. No policy decisions will be made during the meeting.

"We will identify opportunities to ensure that our town government can operate as effectively as possible," Rojanasathira said of the agenda.

Among the scheduled topics is a midpoint update to the town's master technology plan, which was adopted in 2010 to increase digital and electronic access for residents. Friday's meeting will focus on the implementation of four "Government 2.0" prinicples as well as progress toward the development of mobile platforms that will allow for easier retrieval of web-based information through mobile browsing.

Part of increased "online citizen engagement," the master technology plan refers to new online-based tools that can be utilized to allow for citizens to provide their feedback on a variety of issues through a single sign-on system.

Officials will also receive a report from the planning department on various developments throughout town, including the Magee Ranch/SummerHill Homes project and other smaller projects. The same report will also focus on prior project approvals, advanced planning such as the 2030 General Plan and future applications. Rojanasathira said the recent outpouring of public concern surrounding the draft General Plan will not be a discussion item.

A mid-year operating budget and capital improvement program status report will reflect Danville's 2012/13 fiscal outlook, which remains strong overall with revenues slightly ahead of budgeted projections at $20,883,533.

"The economy is continuing to experience slow growth, and local indicators point to stabilization of the major general fund revenue sources that are received by the town," the report stated. "The state of California has addressed its structural budget deficit, reducing the likelihood of additional revenue raids from local government. At the same time, with the passage of almost 2,000 new state laws annually, associated revenue implications are not always immediately evident."

According to the report, operating expenditures are tracking within/less than budgeted appropriations, with the exception of the Successor Agency to the now defunct community development agency.Implementation of AB 1484 added steps and requirements that included retroactively changing the redevelopment agency (RDA) dissolution date from Feb. 1, 2012, to Oct.1, 2011.

This change in date increased the amount of revenue loss to cities by requiring repayment of tax increment revenues that were paid to RDAs in December 2011. For Danville, this resulted in the loss of $1,056,199, immediately after the start of the new fiscal year.

Residents wishing to learn more about Danville's budget and planning future are welcome to attend the workshop.

Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.