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Minutes 09-04-97MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING HELD IN COMMISSION CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1997, AT 6:30 P.M. PRESENT Gerald "Jerry" Taylor, Mayor Jamie Titcomb. Vice Mayor Matthew Bradley, Commissioner Shirley Jaskiewicz. Commissioner Kerry Willis, City Manager Donald J. Doody, Assistant City Attorney Sue Kruse. City Clerk PUBLIC HEARING ON 1997198 PROPOSED BUDGET Mayor Taylor called the meeting to order at 6:38 p.m. 2. PROPOSED RESOLUTION NO. R97-146 RE: ADOPTION OF TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATE FOR FISCALYEAR 1997/98 Attorney Doody read Proposed Resolution No. R97-146 by title only. Mayor Taylor opened the public hearing. No one in the audience wished to address this proposed resolution; therefore, Mayor Taylor closed the public hearing. Motion Commissioner Jaskiewicz moved to approve Proposed Resolution No. R97-146. Vice Mayor Titcomb seconded the motion. A roll call vote was polled by the City Clerk. The motion carried 4-0. PROPOSED RESOLUTION NO. R97-147 RE: ADOPTION OF TENTATIVE BUDGET FOR FISCALYEAR 1997/98 Attorney Doody read Proposea Resolution No. R97-147 by title only. Mayor Taylor opened the public hearing. Diane Reese. Finance Director, apprised the Commission of the changes that are going to be made before the final budget. In the Sanitation budget, if the pilot cart program is continued into next year, we will need approximately $800,000 added to the budget for next year to purchase carts for the entire City. It is anticioated that over a four year period there will be a reduction in personnel costs which will make up that $800,000. It is estimated that during the first year, MINUTES SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA SEPTEMER 4, 1997 the City wil! save approximately $150,000 in personnel costs with this cart program, and in future years, $300,000. MayOr Taylor asked City Manager Willis where the $800,000 is going to come from. City Manager WilliS advised that it has been addressed and will be reflected in the second hearing of the budget. Ms. Reese advised that it will come out of the retained earnings inthe Sanitation budget. We do not have to increase rates to come up with this $800,000. City Manager Willis advised that this is going to be contingent upon the Commission adopting the cart program. Vice Mayor Titcomb asked if the personnel reduction would be through attrition. City Manager Willis answered affirmatively. Ms. Reese advised that the Early Retirement Program is not addressed in the budget. We have left all the positions in the budget for next year. Once we determine how many employees will leave under the Early Retirement Program and the savings associated with that, we will come back to the Commission with a budget adjustment in January. Commissioner Jaskiewicz asked if those funds could be transferred to a contingency fund if they do not have to be expended. Ms. Reese answered affirmatively. Mayor Taylor complimented staff and the managers for putting together a very reasonable budget and for holding the line again this year. This is the third year in a row we have not raised the millage, which reflects the type of management we have. We are taking on a lot of heavy projects and in the year ahead we are looking at doing a lot things to make this City run as efficiently as possible. This budget reflects that. We may have to go through growing pains to modernize ourselves and continually look at our work force to guaranty the taxpayers that they are getting every bang for their buck and that we are running this City in the best way we know how. Mayor Taylor addressed the issue of a new management plan and possibly coming out from under Civil Service. He said there was a lot of uncertainty regarding the new plan and when the employees would see it. He advised that the Commission set a deadline of September 16th for the City Manager and City Attorney to present this plan to the Commission. In talking to Wilfred Hawkins, the Assistant to the City Manager, who has been working with the employees to put together a plan, the employees feel they may not have input into this plan in light of the deadline. Mayor Taylor stated that the committee should continue to review the plan and present recommendations to the City Manager and City 2 MINUTES sPECiAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA SEPTEMER 4, 1997 Attorney. The committee still has time to do this because the first public hearing is not until the first City Commission meeting in October. Mayor Taylor stated that the employees have invested a lot of years in this City and they need to feel that their jobs are protected. He pointed out that the managers on the committee assigned the task of redoing the plan are affected by this plan. In the event the referendum passes, hopefully the employees have gotten what they wanted into the plan and can support it and stand behind the City Manager. However, if the referendum fails, the Civil Service Rules still need to be updated and the committee should keep this in mind. -I'he employees need to be treated fairly and compensated fairly so we do not lose them. We need to hold onto good people and attract good people. We are trying to bring in a plan that works most effectively and is good for both management and the employees. Mayor Taylor proposed one change to the budget. He stated that a year ago, the City did not have an Economic Development position. It created the position to kick start economic development. Since then, we have hired a consultant group who is looking at where we really need to go economically. They are devising where the direction should be. Mayor Taylor felt that at this point we have not set out on a solid program of where the City needs to go economically. We need to wait for that to come in and look at Lt. This position currently is buageted at around $121,000. He felt this is $121~000 that we do not need to spend in the coming year. If we eliminate this posi'don, it would be a big savings to the City. In our meetings with the Chamber of Commerce, we talked about how our CRA should be working and developed. At the next Commission/Chamber meeting, we are going to bring n somebody who is running a CRA to g~ve us some direction. He felt that right now we could easily eliminate this position and still Lose nothing in the City. He stated that if we recruit a Development Director with some CRA expenence, that would possibly help us in that area. Vice Mayor Titcomb complimented the City Manager and staff for doing an excellent iob on the budget. He was not sure we are looking ahead and setting aside enough money to fund the master plan. He did not feel we are putting enough money into bricks and mortar. For example, we are not necessarily funding Ocean Avenue to redesign it. to change the sidewalks, to put in the streets, lights, trees and banners. This year we have set aside $5,000 in each quick victory area: however, it would not be unreasonable to say that we need $50,000 in each of those areas on an annual basis. If we really want to turn this City around, he felt we should put economic development money into bricks and mortar projects and less into consultants and plans. He pointed out that we need about $200,000 to $300,000 to add to the County money in order to redo Gateway Boulevard. Commissioner Jaskiewicz had very serious concerns about this particular area. She did not think the City, because of its needs, warrants that much on personnel 3 MINUTES SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA SEPTEMER 4, 1997 in that particular department. She would like the money to go into the things that Vice Mayor Titcomb described. She stated that before we had this department, we had a tremendous spurt of growth and we had three major projects in this City. These projects were expedited by our staff. She advised that the owners of the property where BGI Industries is going to be located indicated that the presentation that our staff made was one of the most professional presentations that they heard. She felt an incentive program should be developed for employees who go above and beyond the call of duty. She felt these employees should have received an incentive bonus. She would like something left in the budget for an incentive program. Since these projects were ably handled by our staff, she felt they can continue to do so until we see a master plan that tells us otherwise. Commissioner Bradley felt there is a difference between commercial revitalization and economic development. It is important to get something going on Ocean Avenue. the marina, etc., but that is not really economic development. Economic development involves jobs. The more we can attract and secure light, clean industry, we are providing the infrastructure for not only a healthy tax base, but also jobs for the people who live in this area. This is what makes for a healthy and high standard of living. This is what economic development is all about. He was surprised to hear a suggestion that we move into the dark ages. When Ann Ford was hired, he felt we made a large step forward. Since then we have Mr. Kotas on board and Commissioner Bradley felt like we nave really taken on a professional economic development posture. To do away with that would be moving into the dark ages. He was vehemently opposed to that and felt it would send the wrong message to any prospective businesses that are interested in relocating to Boynton Beach and would send a negative message to the County and to the State that Boynton Beach does not really care about business. Mayor Taylor thinks the message that has been sent out from this City over the last two years has been just the opposite. We nave been very business friendly and he hears everywhere in the City and County that Boynton Beach is on the upswing with business. He thinks we have done this through our staff responding to business that come here. by being a City that is open, and by trying to refine how we do business. He did not think this position would change that and felt tl~e money can be used in other ways. He advised Commissioner Jaskiewicz that the City Manager is already working on an incentive program for employees. Lee Wische addressed Commissioner Bradley's statement that the purpose of this position is to bring jobs to the City. He stated that the only jobs he has seen brought to the City were done by the City through the management team. He 4 MINUTES SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA SEPTEMER 4, '1997 was in favor of deleting this position from the budget and using that money in a more appropriate manner. Motion Mayor Taylor passed the gavel to Vice Mayor Titcomb and moved that the position of Economic Development under the City Manager Fund 621, Department 551. be deleted from this coming year's budget. Commissioner Jaskiew~cz seconded the motion. Vice Mayor Titcomb inquired about the contractual fee. Mayor Taylor advised that the City would have to live up to the contract, which provides for four months severance. Vice Mayor Titcomb inquired about what these funds could be used for if this position is eliminated. Ms. Reese advised that the funds would have to stay in the CRA fund and could be used for direct redevelopment projects. Commissioner Bradley reiterated that he would see this as an unforgivable step. The City is moving ahead and we want to continue to send the message that we believe n progress and that we believe Boynton Beach is a place where industries would like to relocate. To eliminate this from the budget basically says that the City does not believe in economic development and he felt this is a major mistake. Mayor Taylor agreed with Commissioner Bradley's theory that economic development is about creating jobs. He stated that he has been on the leading edge of pushing for economic development in the City and he will continue to do SO. Commissioner Bradley felt you really need to fund a position like this so that economic development can happen. If you just sit back and wait for companies to come here, it will never happen. Attorney Doody confirmed for Vice Mayor Titcomb that the second public hearing on the budget is scheduled for September 16th. Vice Mayor Titcomb called the vote. The motion failed 2-2. Commissioner Bradley and Vice Mayor Titcomb voted nay. Vice Mayor Titcomb passed the gavel back to Mayor Taylor. No one else in the audience wished to address this proposed resolution; therefore, Mayor Taylor closed the public hearing. MINUTES SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA SEPTEMER 4, 1997 Motion Commissioner Jaskiewicz moved to approve Proposed Resolution No. R97-I47. Commissioner Bradley seconded the motion. A roll call vote was polled by the City Clerk. The motion carried 4-0, PROPOSED ORDINANCE NO. O97-46 RE: ADOPTION OF FINAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 1997198 Attorney Doody read Proposed Ordinance No. O97-46 by title only, Mayor Taylor opened the public hearing. No one ~n the audience wished to address this proposed ordinance; therefore. Mayor Taylor closed the public hearing. Motion Commissioner Jaskiew~cz moved to approve Proposed Ordinance No. O97-46. Vice Mayor Titcomb seconded the motion A roll call vote was polled by the City Clerk. The motion carried 4-0. 5. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the City Commission, the meeting was adjourned at 7:13 p.m ATTEST: Cit~'Clerk - Recording Secretary (One Tape) CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH Mayor _ ~ Vice~, ayor ommissioner/ ~~~:~" Corfimissioner ' '