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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-19-93 ~ MINUTES OF THE CITY OF OCOEE BOARD OF CITY COMMISSIONERS BUDGET WORKSHOP HELD AUGUST 19, 1993 CALL TO ORDER Mayor Vandergrift called the Budget Workshop to order at 7:05 p.m. in the commission chambers and announced that the purpose of this meeting was to review the balance of the budget for FY93-94. PRESENT: Mayor Vandergrift, Commissioners Combs, Foster, Johnson, and Woodson. Also present were City Manager Shapiro, Administrative Services Director Beamer, Finance Manager Poston, Personnel Director Psaledakis, and City Clerk Grafton. ABSENT: None The method for reviewing the proposed budget during this meeting was the same as the meeting of the previous workshop, one page at a time with each Commissioner expressing individual concerns for each line item. These minutes will list only those pages or items for which there was a question raised. The staff response is underscored. DISCUSSION RE: BUDGET FY93-94. \., Page 4-1 - Stormwater Utility Revenues Mayor Vandergrift: Does this fund accumulate? No. it is being spent every year. A large portion of it is spent on engineering (page 4-3) with a portion placed in contingency in case a decision is made to go out to contract or to lease a piece of equipment. Page 4-3 -Stormwater Utility Expenditures Mayor Vandergrift: Why was there a $20,000 difference in acct. #4900 Contingency Reserve department request and the City Manager recommendation? That was iust to balance the account. Commissioner Woodson: What is acct. #7200 Interest Expense? The interest on the money borrowed from ourselves for the Stucky ditch area. The interest will be paid back into the road impact fee account. Page 5-3 - Water Fund Administrative Services Expenditure Summary There were no questions here, but City Manager Shapiro explained that a qualified GIS operator is now available to replace the operator who was in this department for a short time several years ago. Page 5-5 - Water Expenditures Mayor Vandergrift: Is there a particular reason why acct. #4900 Contingency Reserve went from 0 requested to ~ $37,250? Department Heads do not look at revenue when preparing their part of the budget. Ocoee City Commission Budget Workshop ~ August 19, 1993 Page 5-7 - Water Utility Services Expenditure Summary Mayor Vandergrift: The Transfers Out line item dropped from $789,739 to $456,850. Looking at the payoff of the bond anticipation note. It was higher last year because the bond was still there from Barnett Bank. Page 5-8 - Water Utility Services Expenditure Summary continued Mayor Vandergrift: Are the 50 HP and the 30 HP electric motors for the well that was bid on some time ago? No. these are to be backups for the motors that go in that well. Page 5-9 - Water Utility Services Expenditures Mayor Vandergrift: There is a substantial difference between the salaries requested and the amount recommended by City Manager. Department Head had requested putting a construction crew together in-house to do some pipe work. but on evaluation decided to contract it out. '-' Page 6-3 - Solid Waste Services Expenditure Summary Mayor Vandergrift: In all neighborhoods there are garbage bags out for pickup about 3 times per week and he would like to see containers on wheels. That was why the side-loading garbage trucks were purchased. The plan is to go to those containers as soon as the last truck is paid for. City Manager Shapiro also plans to provide mulching blades for citizens' lawn mowers as a method to reduce landfill costs. Page 7-3 - Wastewater Administrative Services Expenditure Summary Mayor Vandergrift: Are the items Diazo Blueprint Machine and GIS Workstation Memory Upgrade going out for bid? The GIS is a sole source and we already have the system. We can piggyback on the state and county purchasing bid. Page 7-5 - Wastewater Administrative Services Expenditures Mayor Vandergrift: Does acct. #4900 Contingency Reserve reflect the new bond issue situation? No. that is the reserve contingency to balance the budget. Page 7-6 - Wastewater Utility Services Expenditure Summary '-" 2 Ocoee City Commission Budget Workshop \.- August 19, 1993 Mayor Vandergrift: What is acct. #6400 Replace Lift Station Pioneer Key II Mobile Home Park for $30,000? The lift station that is going bad is the one behind the shopping center. Page 8-2 - Clerk Stenographer Job Description Mayor Vandergrift: Is this the person who will be working for City Clerk? Yes. Will she be bonded? Yes. There were various comments made on the job descriptions, none indicating any changes were needed. City Manager Shapiro advised that the rest of the pages in the budget workbook were for advice only and no action was required on them, but there were several issues on which he wished to report. 1) Crime Watch funds included $2,000 for pamphlets and $500 for sign blanks. 2) Park Benches had not been included in the budget, but would be $200 per bench and can come from contingency. Consensus was reached to out 25 Dark benches in this budget ($5.000) . '-' Christmas decorations for Clarke Road were discussed and Mr. Shapiro recommended that this be left until later to give an opportunity to research the price of banners/pennants as Mayor Vandergrift had requested. Commissioner Woodson raised a question regarding the City Clerk's salary, saying that she was the lowest paid staff member and he wished to have a change made. City Manager Shapiro advised that when the evaluation of the position was done, Personnel Director Psaledakis had advised him that a salary survey revealed that the Clerk's salary was 10 % low and recommended an increase greater than the 5% he proposed. However, he chose not to listen to her. Commissioner Woodson moved to raise the City Clerk's salary 10%. Ms. Psaledakis said that her original recommendation was to take the position from grade 15 to grade 17 along with Parks and Recreation Director, which would have given the 10% increase with the job reclassification. The research was repeated when Mr. Shapiro disagreed with her, and the results confirmed her first recommendation. Mayor Vandergrift suggested that, instead of getting involved with employees' salaries, that Commission should move to accept the Personnel Director's recommendation to change pay grades. It was established that this would be an additional 5% at the time the change is made and would not have any affect on any other changes that were in order such as merit or cost of living increases. Commissioner Woodson. seconded bv Commissioner Johnson. moved to acceot Personnel Director Psaledakis' recommendation to move the City Clerk to pay grade 17 '-" 3 Ocoee City Commission Budget Workshop \....r August 19, 1993 with the accompanying additional 5% increase in salary. Before the question was called, further discussion changed the focus of the action. Commissioner Foster said that, although he supported the thought, he was reluctant to go along with setting the salaries of employees as that is an administrative function and this action may be establishing a precedent. Ms. Psaledakis pointed out that the Commission does establish the grade system and this places an employee in the appropriate position. Mr. Shapiro agreed with Commissioner Foster; however, he indicated that he had erred in not taking Ms. Psaledakis' recommendation seriously and he would be willing to follow instructions given by Commission without an argument. Commissioner Combs. seconded bv Commissioner Johnson. moved to place the funds in the City Clerk's salary account and allow the City Manager to evaluate the cost. Motion carried 5-0. RECESS 7:52 P.M. TO 8:05 P.M. '-" Following a discussion initiated by Commissioner Johnson regarding a way to express appreciation to the employees for continuing to maintain a high level of service in the face of reduced salaries and staffing after the cut-backs in February 1992, Commissioner Johnson. seconded bv Commissioner Combs. moved to give a one time $500 payment to each employee who was a part of the cost of living cut-back in Februarv 1992 and who is still employed bv the City of Ocoee on October 1. 1993. Motion carried 5-0. Mayor Vandergrift said he would like to see a City newsletter published quarterly which would include phone numbers and information on the ordinances passed, along with other items of interest to citizens. There was some discussion about the cost, the responsibility of writing and editing, the problems of distribution, and other challenges. Commissioner Johnson suggested inserting the newsletter in The Times quarterly. Mavor Vanderl!rift. seconded bv Commissioner Johnson. moved to put $5.000 in the budget for a City newsletter to be published auarterlv. Motion carried 5-0. Mayor Vandergrift said that several years ago, new water lines were laid in the older part of Ocoee and the houses were never tied into the lines. He asked when this would be done. City Manager Shapiro responded that a report is being prepared on this and the problem is the legality of spending rate-payers' funds to go onto private property. There was consensus that this should be resolved as soon as possible. City Manager reviewed his report dated August 17, 1993 on the municipal garage which showed that maintaining an in house garage would cost $175,000; Fleet Maintenance Contract would be $304,554 and the current method is budgeted at $132,000. He strongly recommended retaining the present method. Commissioner Woodson said that the present mechanic needs '-" 4 Ocoee City Commission Budget Workshop ~ August 19, 1993 help because often a third hand is needed to get the job done. Mr. Shapiro said that there will be someone available most of the year, except for the 3 or 4 months they have to be out in the field mowing. This year maintenance will be scheduled. This, along with the 3 new people and adequate machines, should make a big difference in the availability of the men and machines. If this method does not provide enough people so that the mechanic can have some help, then a change will be made to get him help. As the budget review had been completed and all reports had been made, consensus was that Staff was to be commended for an excellent job on the budget. ADJOURNMENT The workshop adjourned at 8:55 p.m. Attest: APPROVED: City of Ocoee s:s:.v U "-' ~ 5