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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-16-89 WS ~ . . MINUTBS OF THB CITY OF OCOBB CITY COMMISSION BUDGBT WORKSHOP HELD AUGUST 16, 1989 Mayor Pro Tem Dabbs called the budget workshop to order at 7:35 p.m. in the city hall conference room and then asked City Manager Shapiro to begin his briefing. PRISBNT: Mayor Ison (arrived at 7:45 p.m.),Mayor Pro Tem Dabbs, Commissioners Combs, Hager and Johnson, City Manager Shapiro, City Engineer Shira, Finance Director Poston, City Clerk Grafton ABSBNT: None City Manager Shapiro began by presenting the organizational chart as it is now, and as he intends for it to be, explaining that there have been a few changes made since he arrived. City Manager Shapiro proposes: Adding 6 positions which will be funded by general government (3 fire and 3 police) and another position funded by building department monies; Moving Teresa Braddy to the building department will also assist the code enforcement officer; keeping examiner until January 1 when the computer system is in: building inspector: Keeping staff in the planning department the same: Making the public works director responsible for the men who were supervisors and who are now foremen: (assistant supervisor positions no longer exist); Retaining the garage but reducing that department by 1 position as his research indicates that sending the work out would not be a saving; Reducing in the police doing away with Changing secretary: Leaving the buyer in the finance department: giving Teri Batts the title of finance supervisor (over the two billing clerks); Making Robert Holland utilities superintendent, John Cockrell supervisor over plants and Jackie Bell collection- distribution supervisor, with a goal of all utilities employees qualified in both water and wastewater fields: Mowing will be done by parks, parkways, trees and department except for waste water and city hall right Leaving grounds keeper with recreation department facilities and ball fields. where she the plans adding 1 1 lieutenant's position (to sergeant's position) department in order to add a street person, and the chief dispatcher position: Barbara Spainhoward's title to administrative drainage now: for the . Page 2 Ocoee City Commission Budget Workshop August 16, 1989 In addition to these proposals, City Manager Shapiro said that there will be no police vehicles taken home by employees who live outside the city limits of Ocoee and the number of public works and utility vehicles taken home will be limited to direct emergency needs only. . This budget is based on 900 units being built this year - not including Clark Road. A 5 year projection indicates an increase of 12,000 to 13,000 additional citizens. In order to serve the needs for the increased population, City Manager Shapiro proposes an additional 22 firemen, including 1 fire suppression captain and possibly a full time chief by the time a third fire station is in use. At this point in his presentation a discussion regarding the need for both a full time fire chief and full time recreation director ensued. City Manager Shapiro indicated that in order to wait for Mr. Beech to be available full time he would prefer to hire a daytime recreation supervisor but at a later date rather than now. Mayor Ison felt that there is definitely a need to have a daytime program, that it will support itself, and he should begin sooner but agreed that next year at the appropriate time for activities to begin would do. Returning to the fire department needs, City Manager Shapiro stressed the importance of a strong fire inspection program in order to keep fires from happening. He said also that ordinances for both sprinkler systems and fire impact fees would be forthcoming soon. He also will provide the figures for the cost of a full time fire chief for Commission before the next meeting. Regarding utilities, City Manager Shapiro said that it will be necessary to add several people in order to comply with the laws as the city grows. He also stated that we are trying the use of master meters in multi-unit dwellings in order to cut down on meter reading time. Mayor Ison suggested that automated meter reading facilities be considered in new growth areas, and also a tarriff on master meters. City Manager Shapiro stated that the use of outside engineering firms for review can be reduced and he is suggesting hiring another engineer for inspections sometime during the 5 year program. This position will be part of the bond issue. Mr. Shapiro is also considering a drainage utility, but whether it will be positioned under the direction of the public works or engineering has not yet been determined. There was some discussion regarding cablevision inspection. The recreation department will increase by 11 people to support the added daytime recreation and an additional 6 fields. . . . . Page 3 Ocoee City Commission Budget Workshop August 16, 1989 The police department will increase by 29 people in order to care for traffic needs, school liaison officers, dispatching, etc. There may eventually be a director of administration over everybody in city hall and the buying clerk position will become the purchasing agent who has complete control over all buying. The personnel department should be 3 people by then and the clerk should have a deputy and 2 stenographers in order to the minutes of all meetings. city take The city manager office would not change other than to add a secretary and an assistant. The finance director will need an accountant, 1 more billing clerk and 2 accounting clerks. Data processing will be divorced from the finance department and will consist of a data processing manager, a programmer, and 3 computer operators, and the department will run 24 hours a day. In the planning and zoning department a senior planner should be retained in order to deal with the comprehensive plan issues, and a zoning administrator will be needed to deal with the more complicated issues that will naturally follow the growth. In the building department 6 inspectors will be needed, and a plans examiner as well. Over all the payroll would go from 128 to 266 employees with each department increased in size. There are three major projects moving earth now, and there will be another three ready the first of the year. In going through the budget workbook, City Manager Shapiro pointed out that there are four increments of high cost: 1) 1/2 of the proposed 1 mill increase will go toward the over 65 program due to the change that has been made to take those funds from general government rather than utilities; 2) the need for a good personnel policy and good job descriptions in order to reduce turnover: 3) the $5,000 cost per person for health insurance, (one of the steps he proposes to take to reduce the rates is to require pre-employment physicals, and another step is to require physicals for police/fire employees every other year, and Mayor Ison suggested that all employees of over 10 years have physicals each year): and 4) the need for a better data retrieval system. . Page 4 Ocoee City Commission Budget Workshop August 16, 1989 City Manager Shapiro noted that on page A-3 of the budget workbook, he has proposed the following revenue/expenditure figures: General Fund-$4,436,200; Water Fund-$2,493,650: Sanitation Fund-$688,800; Wastewater Fund-$7,485,650, which includes approximately $7,000,000 in capitol improvements for the water/wastewater departments. Commissioner Combs asked about the legal figure compared to 1986- 1988. City Manager Shapiro responded that there were heavy duty lawsuits in the past that caused those figures to be so high and that our representatives with Foley & Lardner are settling in and are good attorneys. Mayor Ison compared the figures on page B-1 with figures he had received from Florida League of Cities and City Manager Shapiro advised that he had used 95% of their figures in all cases as he knew their figures to be in error. Mayor Ison noted that Lake Apopka Natural Gas has indicated that they wish to come into the City of Ocoee and asked that they be contacted. . There were questions regarding the increased figures to $4,500 for concession stands and $6,000 program activity fees. City Manager Shapiro said that he would ask Recreation Director Beech for the basis of the increase and report back to Commission. City Manager Shapiro pointed out that on page B-5 the proposed General Government expenditures total $4,436,200. Mayor Ison said he wanted to be sure that he is not on the City insurance as he is covered by Southern Bell. City Manager Shapiro said that he will present a career incentive program for schooling (not job training) using a committee made up of the city manager, one employee, and one commissioner to review the applications for schooling reimbursement. The scale to be used for reimbursement will be 100% for an A, 75' or 80' for a B, 50% for a C, and for a grade of D or below there will be no reimbursement. Mayor Ison pointed out that there should also be a provision that the employee remain with the City for two years after incurring the expense. . In reviewing the expenditure summary list on page B-6, City Manager Shapiro pointed out that the Cemetery Committee had strongly recommended that, as the original Over 65 Program had not included free cemetery lots, that provision should be removed from the Over 65 benefits. The recommendation was to have everybody pay the same amount for cemetery lots so that some day the cemetery can be maintained in perpetuity. A lengthy discussion ensued . Page 5 Ocoee City Commission Budget Workshop August 16, 1989 . regarding the Over 65 Program and consensus was that there is a definite problem with continuing the program as it is. Phasing out the program was considered, discontinuing it January 1990 and grandfathering in those who moved here in 1984 and no others. Mayor Ison pointed out that originally the program was set up to be simply lost revenue to the water and sanitation funds, but that with the cost moved to the general fund, it becomes a taxpayer burden. Mayor Ison said that some of the logic used in beginning the program was that senior citizens generally do not generate as much garbage/trash as a household with younger, more active residents and the cost to the City would be less than the monthly charge for sanitation service. Also that those benefiting from the program would be having more money in the Ocoee bank to be lent to Ocoee citizens, thereby helping the economy of the City. Commissioner Dabbs asked that the record show that he is amenable to having the program shut down. Mayor Ison said that he feels that the City has a contract with those people who are on the program and with those who are already here expecting to qualify, and so the program should phase out with that consideration. Mayor Ison asked that the growth rate of the Over 65 Program be provided. A question was raised about whether a space was reserved next to a dead spouse for those who had already been provided with a cemetery lot under the Over 65 Program. (Later research showed that the deeds have already been issued for the surviving spouse). Returning to the budget, City Manager Shapiro requested that he be authorized to have the attorney present at each Commission meeting, as the meetings are now shorter. He also reported that he had reviewed the attorney fees and determined one of the ways to reduce the fees would be by requiring that only one copy of a document be sent to us that we copy and distribute, as they were charging a high rate per page. Also he had convinced them to reduce the very high rate they were charging for faxing documents to us. City Manager Shapiro pointed out that after the Comprehensive Plan is finished there may not be a need for a third planner (in the next budget year). . City Manager Shapiro advised that he is introducing a new policy regarding cars by providing private car allowances of $400 per month, with co-insurance, for those who have previously been provided company cars. The exception to this will be detectives who will have City-provided insurance coverage because of the fact that they have to transport people who are not willing to be transported. . . . Page 6 Ocoee City Commission Budget Workshop August 16, 1989 City Manager Shapiro noted that, on page B-22, the contingency fund could change and that he would prefer that it be closer to $200,000. Mayor Ison noted that the Tri-County Transit Service may be a part of the tax equalization issue: and, if so, we should make a point of interceding at the county level, as we definitely need bus service and they have been unresponsive. We should either have bus service or lower tax from the county. City Manager Shapiro said that the Public Works Director is no longer only in charge of Bowness Road, but rather all of public works and needs a clerk-typist and a two-way radio. This is listed on page B-23 of the budget. He mentioned also the possibility of instituting the use of time clocks, as the Federal Government will not reimburse for disaster if time clocks are not used. (Currently the Dispatcher is on a time clock, and that will suffice for now). The city clerk will be a separate department for purposes of budget next fiscal year. The maintenance department will be beefed up for next year. Mayor Ison said that the Withers-Maguire House will be functional and may be available for public use soon. City Manager Shapiro said that there is a legal problem of liability if the building is not up to code. Mayor Ison said that there may be someone approaching us to purchase the building and we should be ready with a response. There was discussion regarding City Manager Shapiro's salary and it was determined that sessions for evaluation and considering a contract would be held in September. Page B-29: The police department will be beefed up by one patrolman each shift and putting the lieutenant back to sergeant will put four men on the road. A new K-9 dog has been bought by the handling officer as the old dog has cancer. The vehicles purchased will be bid out first with State contract figures to fall back on if needed. RECESS PROM 10:22 P.M. TO 10:35 P.M. Page B-30: Detective cars will go to the fleet and clunkers will be disposed of. City departments will pay for their own water and trash service now. Page B-35,36: There were no major changes in the fire department budget. . . . Page 7 Ocoee City Commission Budget Workshop August 16, 1989 Page B-37: Building department major issue was the computor software which will track charges to developers from impact fees through the final inspection. Also budgeted are a PC and printer, several vehicles including a truck, new building inspector, code enforcement officer, and the building clerk who was transferred from the finance department. Page B-40: Cemetery fund calls for 1/2 person to maintain. An ordinance is forthcoming revising the cemetery policy and it will include a statement regarding no more free lots. Page B-43: The name of the street department has been changed to Parks/Parkways/Trees/Drainage. The engineering expense was reduced by $0,000 because we now have our own engineer. Mayor Ison wants to audit the street lights in the City. Florida Power Corporation charges for installation and the lights are on a rotation basis and are out a lot. City Manager Shapiro said that he will look into 1) the developer's agreements and what they are supposed to do, and 2) what the installation charges are for lights. Mayor Ison asked about Clark Road and the budget beginning October 1, 1989. City Manager Shapiro advised that if we do Clark Road and refinance Bowness Road there will be no payment whatsoever in that budget year. There is $414,000 in the Bowness Road budget not budgeted for anything else. The refinancing of Bowness Road happens immediately upon bond issue. The right-of-way acquisition for Clark Road and the engineering will both occur in the first year. City Manager Shapiro said that he will go to the developers and ask for letters of credit so that he can show that he has Clark Road refinancing one and one-half times. Even if he never does Clark Road refinancing Bowness Road will net a better deal for the City. If Clark Road is not built, nothing will be drawn from the fund. Mayor Ison asked if Bryan and Olive were informed of this approach and City Manager Shapiro reported that Mr. Olive had advised that if you are actually going to do the refinancing the $414,000 should be applied toward the defeasment, if not, then the $414,000 should be left for a payment, because there is a tax benefit that way. Page B-47: Shop-manpower reduced by one. Page B-50: Recreation-one person was transferred to parks department. Commissioner Johnson noted that Director Beech should be given mileage. Consensus was that he should be given $1,500 instead of mileage and reduce the contingency fund by that much. . . . Page 8 Ocoee City Commission Budget Workshop August 16, 1989 Page C-2: Water- the cost of items is shared with wastewater. City Manager Shapiro recommends raising the water deposit to cover the increased water rates, and also to begin keeping the deposits and pay interest if necessary. Mayor Ison suggested that we begin trading information with other cities in this area regarding utility customers who skip. Mayor Ison asked Finance Director Poston if our depository will remain the same and about the interest rate. Consensus was to research for higher return, considering not just the interest rate but also fees waived, etc. Mayor Ison requested that the old water pipes be put on a replacement program. He also asked for the total number of water/sewer customers as the figures he sees on reports and the rooftops he counts do not jibe. A lengthy discussion regarding water rates ensued. Page D-4: Sanitation- sanitary land fill expense went down because of recycling and the program of separating grass from the household garbage. Mayor Ison asked that the Lake County proposed land fill placed on the August 22 agenda as the acquifer flows direction and a proclamation is in order. site in be our The next meetings are scheduled for Saturday at 4:30 p.m., and Sunday at 3:00 p.m.. Budget workshops are already advertised for three nights next week if meetings are needed. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 11:31 p.m. yor Je