Budget Workshop July 16, 2009EXCERPT from July 16, 2009 Budget Workshop
REQUESTED BY: Vice Mayor Hay
Mayor Taylor: One issue that I need to bring up that I brought up earlier. I met this morning
with a very high executive in one of the sanitation firms. And I had brought up to this
Commission that I would like to look at possibly franchise out our Sanitation Department. I
want to withdraw that suggestion. After meeting with him and going over the pros and cons, I
found out we probably have the best Sanitation Department in the entire County and the way it is
run. And at the chespest of cost. If we were to franchise that out — well, it would cost our people
a tremendous increase in their sanitation funds. We — I was told and this is a guy that could have
taken over our operation. He said you not only have the best in the County, you have the people
that are the smartest of all the sanitation people he's worked with. He had great, Jeff, for you
and staff, he went right down a list of names and he couldn't be more admirable of the work you
guys do and how you do it. And that — he showed me how it would really be detrimental to this
community if we were to go the franchise route. So, I want to withdraw that suggestion that we
would look at that.
We stand adjourned.
)dith A. Pyle, C
eputy City Clerk
Excerpt from Minutes of July 16, 2009 Budget Workshop
Request by Vice Mayor Hay
Vice Mayor Hay commented on the lack of a coordinated effort in the scheduling and
location of the budget workshop and the participants. He made the following
suggestions:
• Use a meeting coordinator
• Schedule departments for specific times
• Better visual aids
• Use reliable microphones or amplification system
• Workspace be re -designed with Commission facing audience
Commissioner Weiland interjected the proposal had been approved for each department
to review their staffing and budget figures line -by-line which was not being
accomplished.
Vice Mayor Hay continued his comments suggesting that mini workshops may be
necessary before the actual budget workshop is held. Each Commissioner should review
the materials and ask questions of departments and the City Manager to avoid
inappropriate remarks and insinuations during the budget process. Vice Mayor Hay
contended the Commission needed to do a better job preparing for the meetings to
avoid wasting time. The current process did not work and changes needed to be made
by everyone. The rate of 7.3 mills was only a starting point and more workshops specific
to the areas of concern could result in lowering the rate further.
Boynton Beach is the third largest City in Palm Beach County and supplies the most
services to its citizens. Past mistakes need to be overcome and progress made to move
forward. Vice Mayor Hay did not want to be part of a dysfunctional team that could not
work toward the betterment of the City of the Boynton Beach.
Verbatim Excerpt from July 16 2009 Budget WorkshoP
Requested by Vice Mayor Hay
Vice Mayor Hay: I would like to make a few comments. As I have sat here for the past three
days, I witnessed some things that would surprise me. By the same token, I think that has
been stated already, when I look out among all these people here and you multiply the hourly
rate by the number of hours being spent here — a lot of man hours. I had a lot of suggestions
that I was going to make at the end of this meeting. Some I'm not going to make. But, I will
say a few words that I think next year's process needs to be different. I would like to make
some suggestions that we schedule various departments that come in here to make their
presentation, that we have an administrator who monitors the time of each department as they
come in. If that department, if we are running ahead, that coordinator would call the next
department; you should be ready to come in here and make your presentation. If we are
running behind, that coordinator will let you know. Don't come until I call you. We need to be
in a facility that we can have better visual of both the Commissioners and the people behind
them. Need to be able to facilitate where you are facing us and we are facing you. We need to
have microphones that are working, that we can hear, because it is very boring as I received
from some of the people in the back that they can't hear what we are saying. They don't know
who is saying what. So it has been somewhat of a disaster.
Commissioner Weiland: Vice Mayor, can I ask you a question?
Vice Mayor Hay: Sure, you can ask a question. Doesn't mean I'm going to answer it.
Commissioner Weiland: Didn't we already approve going through each department and having
them present themselves? I asked this question the other day and we were told and
Commissioner Rodriguez confirmed it, that we agreed to wait until the budget meeting to do
this. Have each department go through their department and line -by-line what each person's
responsibilities were. I asked for this four months ago. Then at the last Commission meeting I
mentioned that and I was told, no, we all agreed to wait until this budget meeting to do that.
But, that's not happening now.
Vice Mayor Hay: I'm not going to get into a contest of going back and forth. That's not my
quest. If you want to answer to him, that's fine. What I'm going to make are my own
comments, okay, and you can agree to make yours. I just feel we need a different process
next year and it's still not over. Now, what I've observed is that we need to have some mini
workshops before we get to this point, where the Commission sits down on whatever schedule
basis we determine to have these kinds of discussions. So, we get here at the last minute there
is not slinging mud at each other. I got a lot more and so do you, more valuable things to do
with my time then to come here and hear these kinds of bickering and going back and forth. I
was sitting here and at that time we had already spent 45 minutes on one item. So, I'm saying
to myself there is no way in Hades we're ever going to finish this budget. So what are we
accomplishing here. It is obvious, guys, that we have got to do a better job. We got some of
the best minds, okay, in this county, if not in this State. I have confidence in the staff. I have
gone around and many of you department heads know, one of the first things I did on a Friday
that I had off, I went around to each one of your departments trying to learn what you do in
your department so I could do a better job up here. Many times I don't say anything because
I've already talked to many of you and from my understanding, I understand what is going
through and I've read the material. Not saying that nobody else hasn't, but I just want to let
you hear what I'm saying that this process does not work. Okay and we need to change it. I
think we need to regroup. We still have time before this budget goes into effect. All that was
said right here, we are going with this now and we will work with this forward. Okay. It's still
not over. It's still not over.
If we decided that we still want to have some other workshops to discuss some other items, we
should do just that. All we have done, we've established a starting point. This is the base right
here we are going to go with, 7.3, okay. Now, let's have some workshops in those areas that
you have questions when you've read the material at home or wherever you are and you have
questions, then you get with the City Manager, okay, or whomever you need to get with and
get your questions answered. If we still decide we need a workshop, let's have a workshop.
I'm willing to put in the time. I didn't get into this position, okay, just for a title. I rolled up my
sleeves and I'm ready to go to work. And this budget goes into effect October 1. We don't
have that much time. But we do have enough time, the mind and the skills that I know
everybody has in here to get this done. We are the third largest municipality in this County.
We are one of three that give all services in this County other than West Palm and Boca.
Boynton has yeses all the way across the board for supplying services to its citizens. I would
like to keep that. None of us in here are perfect. Kurt has made some mistakes. I made some
mistakes. You have made some mistakes. Why can't we put this behind us and move forward
together as a group and a unit. Because if we don't guys, we are all going to sink. Believe it or
not we are all in the same ship here. I don't mean to get up here preaching but it just kind of
frustrated at this point that we've come this far to end like we have ended with Commissioners
threatening to walk out, with Commissioners calling each other names. I don't want to be part
of that kind of team. If this is the kind of results I see with us spending $750 and other monies
to send people to team building skills and this kind of stuff. If this is the result, we need to
save our money and you owe us some change.
udith A. Pyle, CM
Deputy City Clerk