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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-25-92 SS '-' MINUTES OF THE OCOEE BOARD OF CITY COMMISSIONERS SPECIAL SESSION HELD FEBRUARY 25, 1992 Mayor Dabbs called the special session to order at 8:30 p.m. in the commission chambers. Commissioner Foster led in the prayer and pledge of allegiance. The roll was called and a quorum declared present. PRESENT: Mayor Dabbs, Commissioners Combs, Foster, Johnson, and Woodson. Also present were City Manager Shapiro, Administrative Services Director Beamer, City Engineer/Utilities Director Shira, and City Clerk Grafton. ABSENT: None Mayor Dabbs announced that this special session was called for the purpose of considering what was left undone at the last meeting (Feburary 18, 1992) and will have only two functions: 1) to hear the results from the employee poll to reduce the budget, and 2) to take the issue to the table. He stated that the public had an opportunity to address this issue at the February 18 meeting and this meeting was not called to be a public forum, but only to hear the results of the poll and to make a decision. He expressed regret if those who were present had been misled by a flyer of unknown origin. The audience was vocal about their displeasure. City Attorney Rosenthal explained that the issue is whether to approve the recommendation of the City Manager for a temporary reduction in the size of the City work force so as to produce a general Fund savings of between $77,000.00 and $100,000.00, and he quoted the City Charter regarding the areas of ~ responsibility: Commission does not have the right to control who is hired/fired by the City Manager. The issue is to approve/disapprove the work force reduction. The question is whether there is an opportunity for public input before the vote is cast. In his opinion, as this is a continuation of last week's meeting when public input was heard, it is not necessary to have public input at this time. Couissioner Combs, seconded by Commissioner Woodson, moved to overrule the decision of the chair and let the people be heard. On roll call Commissioner Combs voted "yes," Commissioner Foster "no," Commissioner Johnson "no," Commissioner Woodson "yes," and Mayor Dabbs "no". Motion did not carry. Mayor Dabbs asked Teresa Braddy to report on the committee's findings, and she asked that some of the committee (Steve Goclon, Dave Pelton, and Jerry Thompson) join her at the podium. The committee said they had taken the Commission's job to balance the budget and it was quite a task for such a small amount of time. Mayor Dabbs said for the record it was not at his request and Commissioner Combs said that it was at his request however. The committee presented the following list of suggestions and the responses given by City Manager and Staff are underlined. '-" 1) Take a look at the job functions that service the enterprise funds and put the cost where the benefit is. Administrative fee as to value is charged and the auditors agreeLand there may possibly be 2 jobs that can be transferred. 2) Re-review the Over 65 Program to be sure the process is done in a proper manner. Commissioner __Woodson said this is a political decision and not negotiable. Page 2 ~ Ocoee City Commission Special Session February 25, 1992 3) This is not a short term solution: increase ad valorem taxes. Political decision and is a long term solution. 4) Reduce the following line items: Mayor/Commissioner funds, Maguire House maintenance, vendor fees (attorney/engineer). Mayor/Commissioner fund can be cut. Maguire House is an in-kind contribution from the state and cannot be used for anything else. Commissioner Woodson said he will take a 100\ cut in pay if everyone else will. V~ndo~ fees are alreaqy being looked at and Staff has been instructed to consult in-house before calling the attorneys. 5) Review fact that some departments took a cut and others were increased, such as legislative and finance. The original figures were estimates which were changed when the actual bills were posted. The finance (Over 65 Program)_ was increased because the Sanitation_rates were raised and that account had to be adjusted accordingly. 6) The Purchasing Department had a budget which was not wiped out when the department was reabsorbed into the Finance Department. 7) The 3 positions cut in the Police Department and the 4.5\ reduction should be more than $37,000.00. 8) All employees could not afford the money for insurance benefit considering the 4.5\ cut and so the vote in the polling for dependent coverage was 117 against and 9 for having the employees pay for their own dependent coverage. ~ City Manager Shapiro said that the bUdget is not $800,000 in the hole, but rather that the dollars are not coming in according to the budget. However, if caution is not taken now that will be the situation. Several developers should have been out of the ground by now but things have occurred to keep them from it. When he was putting together the budget the letters of intent from developers were taken into consideration ... they just did not fly as anticipated. Mayor Dabbs advised that an ordinance will be done at mid-year to put into effect the decision made tonight and he called for a motion. Commissioner Foster said that as a Commission they have an obligation to the employees to provide the best possible wages and the best possible working conditions and he believes they have done so; and that as a Commission they also have an obligation to the 14,442 residents of the City; as well as a responsibility to maintain the fiscal integrity of this City and he moved to approve the recommendation of the City Manager to temporarily reduce the size of the City workforce in order to produce the General Fund savings of between $77,000.00 and $100,000.00, such action being taken pursuant to the provisions of Section 3.01 of the Ci ty Personnel Regulations. Commissioner Johnson seconded the motion. '-' Commissioner Woodson said there was no way he would vote to take away the insurance of the employees. He said that there were public hearings for the Over 65 Program and Commission made adjustments according to the will of the people and now it is time to leave it alone. The same happened with the taxes. Next year the budget will be looked at the same way with public hearings and decisions will be made at that time. If you were running a business and it went bad it would be necessary to cut back the workforce and it would not be fair if the City kept unneeded employees. Page 3 ... Ocoee City Commission Special Session February 25. 1992 Commissioner Combs said he has a responsibility to the citizens and that is to keep a balanced budget. He repeated what he said last week that he thought that as many should be laid off from the top of the budget as are from the bottom. Commissioner Johnson said the budget was set in August through October and hearings were not well attended and that it is not right to make citizens pay for positions not needed. He recalled that City Manager had said that if the growth did not happen it would be necessary to cut those positions. Mayor Dabbs said it is no consolation to him or to anyone that this is not a rarity in the state or nation, and he listed others who have laid off and phased out jobs. He said it is not poor management on our part when it reaches from the Court House to the White House. The vote was called for the motion to approve the City Manager's recommendation. On roll call Commissioner Combs voted "no, " Commissioner Foster "yes, " Commissioner Johnson "yes," Commissioner Woodson "no," and Mayor Dabbs "yes". Motion carried with 3-2 vote in favor and City Manager was ordered to make the adjustments. '-" ADJOURNKENT The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Attest: '-' .