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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-24-01 Minutes SS MINUTES OF THE OCOEE CITY COMMISSION SPECIAL SESSION FOR FINAL BUDGET HELD SEPTEMBER 24, 2001 CALL TO ORDER Mayor Vandergrift called the Special Session to order at 7:02 p.m. in the Commission Chambers. The roll was called and a quorum declared present. Mayor Vandergrift announced this was a public hearing to finalize the budget and adopt a final mileage rate for the City of Ocoee. The City Commission has previously approved a tentative millage rate of 4.7214 mills which represents a 4.2899% increase in millage over the rolled-back rate of 4.5272 mills. PRESENT: Mayor Vandergrift, Commissioners Howell, Johnson, Parker, and Anderson (arrived at 7:12 p.m.). Also present were City Manager Gleason, City Attorney Rosenthal, Public Works Director Smith, Human Resources Director Psaledakis, Finance Director Horton, Police Chief Mark, Information Systems Manager Ross, Communications Manager Ek-Collins, Acting Recreation Director Prettyman, Acting Planning Director Lewis, City Engineer/Utilities Director Shira, Assistant City Engineer Wheeler, Building & Zoning Official Velie, Director of Community Relations/Projects Shira (arrived at 7:36 p.m.), Finance Supervisor Carter, Budget Analyst Brosonski, City Clerk Grafton, and Administrative Assistant II Maxwell. Finance Director Horton announced the percentage rate increase in the tentative millage over the rollback rate necessary to fund the budget is 4.2899%. Ad Valorem Tax revenues are being increased by $200,000.00 to provide funding for projects to be determined at a future date by the City Commission. The public hearing was opened, and Mayor Vandergrift asked for comments from citizens. Mr. Max Jacobs, 2247 Mt. Spruce St., spoke regarding the increase in the millage rate and other concerns regarding the budget. Commissioner Johnson advised Mr. Jacobs that the millage rate was going down from the current millage rate of 4.7387 to the proposed millage rate of 4.7214. The public hearing was closed. COMMISSIONERS COMMENTS Commissioner Parker said she would like to adopt a rate that would incorporate $23,000.00 for the Pension Fund supplement, $85,000.00 for the re-paving of Prima Vista Subdivision, and $25,000.00 for the rainy day fund added to the roll-back rate. MOTIONS BY COMMISSIONERS FOR AMENDMENTS TO THE PROPOSED TENTATIVE BUDGET Commissioner Parker, seconded by Commissioner Johnson, moved to adopt the rollback rate but add $23,000 for the Pension Fund supplement, $85,000 for the re-paving of Prima Vista Subdivision, and $25,000 for the rainy day fund. Final Budget Special Session September 24,2001 This motion was declared out of order. Commissioner Parker. seconded bv Commissioner Johnson. moved to amend the adopted tentative budget bv reducing the proposed contingency amount by $67.000. Motion carried 3- ~ with Mayor Vandergrift and Commissioner Howell voting no. RECESS to re-compute the proposed millage rate and rolled-back percentage increase was not necessary. ANNOUNCEMENT BY DIRECTOR OF FINANCE OF THE RECOMPUTED PROPESED FINAL MILLAGE RATE AND THE PERCENT BY WHICH THE RECOMPUTED PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE EXCEEDS THE ROLLED-BACK RATE. THIS PERCENTAGE IS THE PROPOSED FINAL PERCENTAFGE INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAXES. Finance Director Horton announced the re-computed proposed final millage rate was 4.6564 mills, which represents a 2.8528% increase over the rollback rate of 4.5272 mills. This is the proposed percentage increase in property taxes. MOTION TO ADOPT ORDINANCE NO. 2001-25, SETTING THE FINAL MILLAGE RATE City Attorney Rosenthal read the title only of Ordinance No. 2001-25 setting the final millage rate. Commissioner Parker. seconded bv Commissioner Anderson. moved to adopt Ordinance No. 2001-25. setting a final millage rate of 4.6564 mills for the fiscal year 2001-2002. Motion carried 4-1 with Mayor Vandergrift voting no. City Attorney Rosenthal read into the record the taxing authority is the City of Ocoee and the rolled back millage rate is 4.5272 mills. The percentage by which the proposed millage exceeds the rolled back rate is 2.8528 % . The millage rate proposed by the Ordinance is 4.6564 mills. COMMENTS BY CITIZENS Mr. Max Jacobs, 2247 Mountain Spruce Street, stated he meant no malice towards any city employee in previous comments. MOTION TO ADOPT ORDINANCE NO. 2001-26, ADOPTING THE FINAL BUDGET City Attorney Rosenthal read the title only of Ordinance No. 2001-26, adopting the final budget. 2 Final Budget Special Session September 24,2001 Commissioner Parker. seconded by Commissioner Anderson. moved to adoot Ordinance No. 2001-26. adopting a Final Budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1. 2001. and ending September 30. 2002. Motion carried 4-1 with Mayor Vandergrift voting no. ANNOUNCEMENT OF END OF BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING Mayor Vandergrift declared the end of the budget public hearing. Mayor Vandergrift declared Emergency Items to be acted upon in this meeting. Commissioner Anderson. seconded by Commissioner Johnson. moved to adoot Emergency Items D. E 1&2. and F. Motion carried 5-0 TRA VEL CONTINGENCY City Manager Gleason stated $1,500.00 needed to be transferred from contingency account to commission travel/training account to cover outstanding invoices. Commissioner Anderson. seconded by Commissioner Howell. moved to transfer $1.500.00 from contingency to commission travel/training. Motion carried 5-0. GRANTS Community Relations/Projects Director Shira stated that the West Orange YMCA, Ocoee Jr.lSr. Football League, West Orange High School Choir, and Sleepy Harbour Homeowners Association have made for grant requests from the City of Ocoee. YMCA Commissioner Johnson. seconded by Commissioner Anderson. moved to approve grant of $1.000.00 to The West Orange YMCA. Motion carried 5-0. SLEEPY HOUROUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION Commissioner Parker stated she feared if the city donates money towards a homeowners association wall, other homeowners associations will come before the city next year for donations. Discussion ensued. Tom Slimmick, treasurer Sleepy Harbour Homeowners Association, stated residents have donated approximately $27,000.00 towards the wall in the subdivision. Discussion ensued. Norma Bell, address unknown, asked what part the builder played regarding building the wall in the subdivision. Discussion ensued. 3 Final Budget Special Session September 24,2001 Commissioner Anderson. seconded by. Mavor Vandererift. moved to approve grant of $1.261.25 to Sleepy Harbour Homeowners Subdivision. Motion Carried 3-2 with Commissioners Parker and Howell voting no. Smitty Branch, 428 East Lakeshore Drive, thanked the Mayor and Commissioners for granting Sleepy Harbour Homeowners the money towards the wall. Mr. Branch further stated his is very proud of Ocoee and he is proud to see the flags flying on Bluford Avenue. Mayor Vandergrift stated he would like to see flags flying on Clarke Road. Public Works Director Smith stated not only are flags not available but there is also the cost of the brackets to take into consideration. Community Relations/Projects Director Shira stated that once Founders' Day is over, flags or banners can be used in the same brackets that were used for Founders' Day. Discussion ensued. Mavor Vandererift, seconded by Commissioner Parker. moved to purchase $2.000.00 worth of flags/banners from contingency in Fiscal Year 2001-2002. Motion carried 5-0. OCOEE JR./SR. FOOTBALL LEAGUE Max Jacobs, 2247 Mt. Spruce Street, stated when the Ocoee City Commission takes each grant into consideration there should not be any issues with approving community projects while also balancing the budget. Commissioner Anderson stated that in the past he has requested that groups requesting monies should volunteer to assistant with Founders' Day. City Manager Gleason stated that most school sports are played on Saturdays, so they would be unavailable to assist with Founders' Day. Commissioner Parker stated they should help clean up trash Sunday after Founders' Day. Commissioner Anderson stated he would make the motion if the motion included cleaning up Sunday after Founders' Day. Commissioner Anderson. seconded by Commissioner Parker. moved to approve the $500.00 grant to Ocoee Jr.lSr. Football League with the provision that they volunteer to clean UP Sunday after Founders' Day. Motion carried 5-0. Michael Miller, 1305 Ridgefield Drive, stated he would like to better understand the "emergency items" that are being discussed tonight and last thing he would like to see is the city spend money to end the year when there could be a money shortage next year. He asked if the city is spending money to spend money or are these true "emergency items?" City Manager Gleason stated that these items had to be called "emergency items" due to the fact that they were not on the original agenda when posted and the commission would not meet again until the next fiscal year. 4 Final Budget Special Session September 24,2001 WEST ORANGE HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR Commissioner Parker. seconded by Commissioner Anderson. moved to approve the $250.00 grant to the West Orange Choral Program with the provision they volunteer to help before. during or after Founders' Day. Motion carried 5-0. COMMISSION COMMENTS Commissioner Anderson thanked staff for the best budget year yet and said it went smoother than any budget he has been involved in. Commissioner Parker stated the City of Ocoee has run at the world class level. Commissioner Anderson stated this would be Peggy Psaledakis's last budget and wished her the best. Public Works Director Smith stated on behalf of the General Employees Pension Board, thanked the mayor and commissioners for funding the $100.00 supplement. He further stated during the last budget hearing, he asked a question and others took his comment as insulting and that was not his intent. He apologized for any misunderstanding. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:41 p.m. Attest: APPROVED: City of Ocoee VI ~~ If ~. .~~ s. Scott Vandergrift, Mayo -~.-"'". '~ ,-t\'\l \ \! ~{~},--,\ I,Ll, I /"-_,~,~,v Brenda Maxwell, Administrative Assistant II 5