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OCOEE CITY COMMISSION BUDGET WORKSHOP MEETING HELD
SEPTEMBER 11, 1989
The Budget Workshop Session of the Ocoee City Commission was called
to order by Mayor Ison at 6:35 p.m. in the Commission Chamber.
Present: Mayor Ison, Commissioners Combs (arrived at 7:25 p.m.) I
Dabbs, Hager and Johnson. Also present were City Manager Shapiro,
City Attorney Rosenthal, City Engineer Shira, Public Works Director
Brenner, Finance Director Poston, Finance Supervisor Batts,
Street Supervisor Elmore and City Clerk Grafton
Absent: None
Mayor Ison explained the purpose of the Public Hearing to follow
at 7:30 p.m. and reviewed the presentations. He was specific in
reciting the order of events for the Public Hearing.
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BUDGET
Mayor Ison asked the City Manager what time frame he had in mind
for the new employees being hired. The answer was October 1. The
revenues are available. There is a matter of timing for the fire
fighters needed. Orange County will be recruiting 94 fire
fighters, which will deplete the supply. It is necessary to
aggressively compete in order to fill the Ocoee positions. Mayor
Ison inquired about the time frame for other than capital outlay
items. Recycling equipment is not necessary until January. City
Manager Shapiro said he would like the cars for the Police
Department as soon as possible. He called attention to the
competition for dollars now existing and suggested purchases be
made as soon as cash is available. Pay raises are on anniversary
dates of employees. Cost of living increases are effective October
1. Any classification changes would be October 1. Mayor Ison asked
if anyone has tabulated the new revenue that would be available to
the City through the increases in utility rates and increased ad
valorem. Mayor Ison wants a recapitulation of "real" moneys, which
were tentatively identified as ad valorem, building fees,
occupational licenses and some growth and franchise fees.
Employees will number 127 and health insurance has increased for
each.
Commissioner Dabbs questioned why the estimates for last year were
nowhere near met. City Manager explained that less people are
smoking, fewer people are driving, thus generating less income for
the City. Commissioner Dabbs further asked why FICA was so far off
in the estimate. Salary increases in mid-year which were not
anticipated were the apparent reason.
Commissioner Johnson inquired about
insurance. Mr. Shapiro explained
increased on an annual basis.
~ Mayor Ison noted that the projected revenues were on the
conservative side. He led a discussion related to contingency funds
and carryover. He called attention to the past history of the City
the
that
automobile
liability
liability
should be
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Ocoee City Commission Workshop Session
September 11, 1989
when its budgets were conservative but little or nothing was ever
done. Mr. Shapiro announced that with this budget, Ocoee would be
one of the busiest cities in Orange County. Contingency Funds can
be moved by motion of the Commission.
The three year Windermere Fire Protection Contract has
increased in accord with annexation and building in that
State revenue cigarette tax is less than the last year.
been
area.
In response to inquiry, Mr. Shapiro stated that Ocoee would have
a fire impact fee before long. He is still doing a lot of research
on a police impact fee, without a practical version. Mayor Ison
noted that now is the time to put those impact fees ordinances in
place. Mr. Shapiro said he would do what he could to expedite the
impact fees. The Commission also noted that the Fire Department
was more a medical emergency unit than fire fighting. The feeling
was that this should be looked at very hard before money was
invested in expensive equipment.
One building inspector is being added to Building Department. The
one clerk is already there. Street lighting is $90,000.00.
Mayor Ison expressed his opinion that the bottom line was basically
what is being done for the citizens. He compared the amount of
public improvements citywide, sidewalks, paving, with the increases
for personnel. He stated his dissatisfaction with the merit systems
that had been used, the longevity systems that failed and the
evaluation systems discarded. He called attention to the inequity
in the job categories. Mr. Shapiro responded by saying the recent
study showed the City was losing the employees with years of
service, not the starting employees. Something had to be done
about this situation. Mayor Ison pointed out that the
documentation showed development of another level of management,
and he followed by saying industry as a whole was shying away from
additional levels of management, not adding. Mr. Shapiro countered
that these supervisors were needed since the City would be adding
employees with the current growth.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:29 p.m.
Approved:
Thomas R. Ison, Mayor
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