By Charles M. Kelly
The city spent $5,155 on last year’s Christmas party for Seal Beach staff, according to the results of a recent Public Records Act request.
The city manager’s office budget for 2023-24 included $10,000 in the Special Departmental Account.
This story started when a reader suggested I look into the cost of the office Christmas party.
I started by filing a Public Records Act request on the city’s website.
Feb. 15, 2024
“I request the following information concerning the Seal Beach city staff Christmas party or celebration:
“Where city funds used?” (Editor’s note: This was a word-choice error on my part. The question should have been “Were city funds used?”)
“How much was spent?”
1:13 p.m., March 22, 2024
The City of Seal Beach, City Clerk’s Office
“Thank you for your inquiry regarding the City of Seal Beach holiday celebration.
“The City recognizes the importance of a positive and engaged workforce. To that end, we allocate a budget for the Staff Engagement Team (SET) to promote employee engagement throughout the year. These SET members are comprised from each of the City’s departments and volunteer many of their own hours to accomplish their stated goals, which are: Boosting staff morale Promoting health and wellness Developing inter/intra-departmental relations Partnering with the community; and Encouraging professional development.
“This year’s holiday celebration, with an estimated approved budget cost of $5,155, was funded through this established staff engagement program budget. As mentioned above, SET members volunteer many hours to achieve their goals and regarding this past year’s holiday celebration, staff volunteers invested a significant amount of their personal time to ensure the success of the event.
“We believe that investing in employee well-being and fostering a positive work environment leads to a more productive and dedicated workforce, ultimately benefiting our entire community. If you have any further questions about the staff engagement program, please contact us at your convenience.”
March 23, 2024
A search of the approved 2023-24 budget found no reference to holiday celebration, engagement, or staff engagement. That simply meant I didn’t find what I was looking for. I so advised the City Clerk’s Office by email.
Sometimes a record request is the fastest way to get information.
Sometimes going to an individual is the fastest way to get information.
I decided to do both.
On March 29, I emailed Finance Director Barbara Arenado asking where I could find the budget for staff engagement.
April 9, 2024
The City Clerk’s Office responded:
“You are correct, the specific line item ‘Staff Engagement Team’ might not be explicitly listed in the current City budget. However, the funding for this program is allocated within the City Manager’s Office Special Departmental Account (Account Code: 101-110-0011-52200). This account supports various citywide events and initiatives throughout the year, aimed at both staff and public engagement.
“The Staff Engagement Team program falls under this umbrella, as it ultimately fosters a more connected and collaborative work environment within the City.
“We apologize for any confusion caused by the lack of a specific line item.
“We’re always looking for ways to improve the transparency of our budget documents. If you have any further questions or require additional information about the City Manager’s Office Special Departmental Account or the Staff Engagement Team program, please do not hesitate to contact us.”
The Sun consulted the budget for 2023-24. Page 93 of the budget showed $10,000 budgeted for 2023-24 for the Special Departmental Account.
Also on April 9, Finance Director Arenado sent the Sun an email:
“Good afternoon Mr. Kelly,
Thank you for your question. It was responded to in Next Request.”
Email story suggestions to editor2@sunnews.org. I’ll follow up as best I can, based on time, resources, and space in the print edition of the Sun.
