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MINUTES OF THE OCOEE CITY COMMISSION BUDGET WORKSHOP
HELD AUGUST 12, 1996
Mayor Vandergrift called the Budget Workshop to order at 7:04 p.m. in the Commission
Chambers. The roll was called and a quorum declared present.
PRESENT: Mayor Vandergrift, Commissioners Anderson, Johnson, Glass and Gleason. Also
present were City Manager Shapiro, Personnel Director Psaledakis, Finance
Director Horton, City Attorney Rosenthal, Police Chief Mark, Building Official
Flippen, Budget Analyst Carter, City Engineer Shira, Public Works Director
Corwin, Capital Projects/Concurrency Analyst Resnick and City Clerk Grafton.
ABSENT: None.
Mayor Vandergrift proposed a time limit for the meeting, and Commissioner Johnson
suggested it end at 9:00 p.m. Consensus was for that limit.
City Manager Shapiro said he needed to have the advertised meeting of Friday, August 23,
1996, in order to have the new bond issue for the utilities in place before the presidential election
on the basis of rate. He said it did not have anything to do with the budget but might before the
two-week period when the hearings were going to be held. The new bond would make a change
in the Utility budget.
Commissioner Gleason spoke regarding the Over 65 Program and the rollback rate. He felt
they should deal with those first and then possibly go through the budget page by page or line by
line. The contingency fund was $243,800, and the Over 65 Program would cost $174,000. The
difference was $69,800. The rollback rate would leave a deficit of $104,000. He said he would
be unwilling to start a new fiscal year without a contingency fund. Commissioners Glass,
Anderson and Johnson concurred.
Commissioner Johnson asked for the material on the modified Over 65 Program.
Commissioners Glass and Gleason stated they would want the program included if it were
modified so that the end result could not be challenged.
Attorney Rosenthal said if the consensus were to modify the program, the current resolution
establishing the program required a public hearing and resolution in order to modify a certain
notice date from that, which meant that if they wanted a modified program in place when they
voted on September 18, they had to have the public hearing no later than September 17.
Otherwise any budgetary appropriation in the new budget would be with respect to the program
as it exists. He suggested it be discussed at the next Commission meeting.
Commissioner Gleason stated the difference between the 4 mill and rollback rate was $174,498.
He said to use the rollback rate, the City would need to find $174,498 not needed in the budget
to put in the contingency fund. Mayor Vandergrift advised that he had not received
information from staff that he had requested. Commissioner Gleason responded,"For the
record, we want to say, Mr. Mayor, that none of this information that I've given you tonight that I
OCOEE CITY COMMISSION BUDGET WORKSHOP
AUGUST 12, 1996
got from these people in terms of a follow-up call or what have you was strictly from that memo
that you had asked from Donald involving the tax rate and whatever's there. I mean, I want to
say that in their defense that they, first of all, anyone of us can ask questions to them, and they'll
answer that. But I mean, you know, so I want you to know that nothing was given to me or sat
down. I mean this is the first time I've thrown these numbers at them, and at least realize that I
was accurate. So I just want you just to be aware." He also advised the information was dated
August 2 and had been in his mailbox.
Discussion followed regarding the millage rate and the Over 65 Program.
Attorney Rosenthal advised that if for any reason it looked like the vote was heading in a
direction where there would not be a majority to adopt a budget, there were issues beyond
operating under the previous year's budget. For example, there was the possible loss of revenue
sharing funds under that particular scenario. If that were the case, he would want to make an
evaluation.
City Manager Shapiro asked for a written response from Attorney Rosenthal regarding the
possible problems with having the same budget as the year before.
Mayor Vandergrift stated he would not hold up the budget to vote for a budget that might
involve a rollback but would register a minority opinion on it. He said voting for 4 mills was
tantamount to an increase in taxes. Commissioner Glass expressed his appreciation to the
Mayor for his comments. Commissioner Gleason spoke in favor of an increase in the millage
rate.
Discussion followed regarding the request for an increase in attorney fees.
Commissioner Anderson asked if it would appropriate to talk about the possibility of putting
out bids for an attorney and spoke about the contract. Commissioner Glass said the rate that had
been charged was not a market rate. Possibly a smaller firm could do the work, but the quality of
work from Foley and Lardner for the rate they charged could probably not be equaled. He
supported an increase in the rate and did not feel the contract needed to be visited at that time.
Mr. Shapiro pointed out that the labor and code enforcement attorneys were billing at a higher
rate than Foley and Lardner.
Consensus was to leave the attorney rate as presented (page 3-29).
Mayor Vandergrift suggested inserting "and citizen" into the first paragraph on page 2.
Mayor Vandergrift stated he would rather see an incentive system whereby a cash bonus was
awarded at the end of the year rather than the 4% merit system. Commissioner Gleason
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OCOEE CITY COMMISSION BUDGET WORKSHOP
AUGUST 12, 1996
concurred. Commissioner Anderson suggested a 0-4% graduated scale merit system. Mr.
Shapiro stated the comments from the employees were complaints that the 0-7% system was
unfair, which was why the system was changed to 4% or no increase. Discussion followed.
Commissioner Gleason asked for opinion from the department heads regarding a sliding scale
for merit increases. Chief Mark stated there was a rating system in place in the Police
Department that worked. City Engineer Shira said he was comfortable with the merit system.
Instead of abolishing the sliding scale, training managers and supervisors how to judge
performance would have been better. Personnel Director Psaledakis explained the concerns of
the Employee Committee regarding the sliding scale. Commissioner Johnson was in favor of a
percentage set according to the budget and not a merit system. Commissioner Anderson
suggested a scale of 0-4%, giving managers leeway. Commissioner Gleason stated he had
learned from certain classes that the emphasis was to get to paid performance in the public sector,
trying to get away from giving raises across the board with no accountability. He concurred with
Commissioner Anderson. Commissioner Glass disagreed, stating the employees were told they
would be empowered with an employee committee to let them try some things. There were no
guarantees that their recommendations were going to be implemented. He supported 4% or
nothing. He also mentioned the Titusville program whereby there is an incentive paid out of
recognized savings. Mayor Vandergrift stated the employee committee was not aware of the
Titusville program. Mr. Shapiro said he would make the Titusville program information
available to the employee committee. There was considerable discussion regarding
reclassification and raises.
Consensus was to leave the merit system as proposed, 4% or nothing.
Establishment of an employee assurance plan, $20,000, was discussed. Ms. Psaledakis said this
plan should be called employee assistance and would be for flu shots, possibly speakers
regarding smoking cessation, etc. It was not intended to offset leave time employees do not have
or offset deductibles. She said the City might want to waive the employee assistance program or
reduce it to flu shots only, estimating half the employees would take advantage of it. Discussion
followed regarding short term and long term disability.
Consensus was to eliminate the short term disability in favor of long term disability and reduce
the employee assistance plan by $12,000, leaving $8,000 for flu shots.
Adjournment
Meeting was adjourned at 9:05 p.m.
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