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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1990-08-16 - City Commission Budget Workshop Meeting MinutesCITY OF TAMARAC CITY COUNCIL BUDGET WORKSHOP MEETING Thursday, August 16, 1990 CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Abramowitz called this meeting to order on Thursday, August 16, 1990 at 10:00 A.M. in Conference Room #1, City Hall. PRESENT.: Mayor Norman Abramowitz Vice Mayor Bruce Hoffman Councilman Dr. H. Larry Bender Councilman Henry Rohr Councilman Henry Schumann ALSO PRESENT: John P. Kelly, City Manager Dina McDermott, Assistant City Manager Ken Burroughs, Finance Director Mary Blasi, Deputy Finance Director Thelma Fagelbaum,' Chief Accountant Michael Couzzo, Director of Public Works and Parks & Recreation Alan Levine, Operations Manager Pauline Walaszek, Secretary Mayor Abramowitz said the Public Works Department is doing a great Job considering they are overworked. He said there are five men cutting seven million square feet of grass. He said he hopes this department can have more manpower since this is his number one priority. City Manager Kelly said they are cleaning up the Public Works site regarding the oil contamination working with Hazen & Sawyer, Chevron and the State. He said Mike Couzzo just received the following correspondence on this item: "To Mike Couzzo, Director of Public works, The Department of Environmental Regulations, DER, has completed its review of docu- mentation submitted for this site and the DER has determined that this site is eligible for reimbursement of allowable cost pursuant to Section....". City Manager Kelly said the City can recover virtually all of the cost associated with this project in the cleanup. He said the clean up and incineration that was to have begun a week ago was delayed because of the torrential rains. He said the incinerator is now able to function and the operation is expected to be per- formed next Tuesday. He said at that point the analysis will be done and he will determine the cost. City Manager Kelly said Representative Peter Deutsch has asked if he can be of any help to the City in this project and they are hoping for a written agreement as soon as possible. C/M Bender asked how much is expected to be recouped and Mr. Couzzo said they are hoping to get many reimbursable costs back. City Manager Kelly said Chris Carsky, who is working on this, has had direct experience with these cleanups and is familiar with the people in the State. He said Chevron has extended an offer of help. Mr. Couzzo said there are 140 linear miles of roadways, 12.7 square miles of area, 526 acres to be maintained, 3900 catchbasins, 120 vehicles and large pieces of equipment. He said there is car work done for the BSO on a contractual basis. He said there are 8 master pumps along the C-14 canal that are used to control the drainage throughout the City. City Council Budget Workshop Page 1 8/16/90/pm C/M Bender asked if this information has changed in the last few years and Mr. Couzzo said yes. C/M Bender asked how much more there is to care for than there was a few years ago and Mr. Couzzo said he intends to draft a master report on the department in the next few months. Public Works Administration City Manager Kelly referred to Page 68 and noted that under 1989,190 there was a budget of $186,490 for personal services and this year he is recommending $180,470. V/M Hoffman asked who the people are by name and Mrs. McDermott referred to Page 70. Mr. Couzzo said the position of Project Administrator and Office Manager are currently vacant and the Buyer -Storekeeper is a split position. He said the Secretary position is Carolyn and the Clerk -Typist is Marsha. V/M Hoffman asked where Alan Levine is and Mr. Couzzo said Allan is coming from an operating budget under the Grounds, Page 14, Operations Manager. Mayor Abramowitz referred to Page 68, Personal Services, and C/M Bender asked what was reduced. Mr. Couzzo said the salaries for the two positions that were vacant were listed higher in the proposal than they were approved. He said that is the difference. City Manager Kelly said the net increase is about $12,240 and the capital alone is $6,400. He said the insurance service charges are $15,000. Mr. Couzzo said salary savings were accomplished 'thx}ough the reorganization of the department. Mayor Abramowitz said hle is opposed to having a great deal of money spent on the administrative positions and a low scale for the workers. Mr. Couzzo said the Project Administrator will assist in the management of the Public Works Complex and the finalization of the Multi -Purpose Center. He said there is a responsibility to the 65 employees that work in Public Works. Mayor Abramowitz referred to Page 72, Grounds Maintenance. City Manager Kelly said there is an increase in Personal Services from $300,900 to $346,910. He said that includes Mr. Levine's salary and an additional maintenance worker. He said in the direct operating expenses $12,790 is for Electricity, which is a new cost. Alan Levine said the electricity funded will be for Commercial Boulevard irrigation, University Drive irrigation and Veterans Park. Mr. Couzzo said the grounds projects are being more specific. Mayor Abramowitz asked about the Irrigation Systems and Mr. Couzzo said they are talking about increasing the irrigation systems from 64th Avenue to the east. V/M Hoffman asked where the money would go from the cleanup of the old Public Works facility when it is reimbursed to the City and Mr. Couzzo said that should go to the General Fund. Mr. Burroughs said the only money that came from the General Fund was the sale of the Public Works property and everything else came from the Utilitie3. C/M Rohr questioned Beautification -Miscellaneous which was 0 last year and is $40,000 this year. Mr. Couzzo said this will be a good start for the City. He said he is hoping for a combined effort with the County on this. City Manager Kelly referred to the balance difference between 1989/90 in the amount of $385,131 and 1990/91 in the amount of $524,910. V/M Hoffman asked if the budget should not provide for the possibility of needed manpower this year and City Manager Kelly said he considered shifting the Beautification amount into the Personal Services. He said there are commitments to beautification and they budgeted for that instead. City Council Budget Workshop Page 2 8/16/90/pm 1 11 I I I . .­­....1 Mr. Couzzo noted on Page 73, that $80,000 was requested for Vehicles but this was not proposed by the City Manager. City Manager Kelly referred to Page 76, Streets/Roads, and said the overall bottom line shows $445,360 and $628,350 was requested. He said on Page 80, the drainage project for Tamarac Lakes North is recommended by Utilities in the amount of $245,000 to accomplish. He said he deleted that project from the budget. City Manager Kelly said the Street with that Resurfacing on Page 76 was drainage project budgeted the for resurfacing associated $55,160. He said here is a source for monies to pay for additional people for this department when necessary. Mayor Abramowitz said he would like this money to remain in the budget. Mr. Couzzo said he would recommend to Council that the $55,160 be placed in the salary accounts to provide for two maintenance workers in the 411 account and one maintenance worker in the 407 account. City Manager Kelly said this would identify the money for three people for a part of the year. Mr. Couzzo said he would suggest they fund two employees for twelve months and one for six months. C/M Rohr questioned Item 533, Asphalt Paving, in the amount of $25,000 and Mr. Couzzo said there is a great deal of asphalt work to be done this year. Tape 2 Mayor Abramowitz called a five minute recess and reconvened with all present. Mayor Abramowitz referred to Page 48, City Hall Operations, and Mr. Couzzo said salaries remain basically the same. He said under operating expenses the significant change is Other Contractual Services from 0 to $27,500. He said under Special Equipment is the amount of $3,000. C/M Rohr questioned how the air conditioning is regulated and Mr. Couzzo said it is computer controlled and is programmed by the Public works Department. Mayor Abramowitz said the City Manager should send out a directive that unoccupied Conference Rooms and unoccupied office areas should have the lights turned off. C/M Bender asked if the City has ever had a rate schedule check from FP&L. Mr. Couzzo said they will check this. C/M Rohr said some time ago the Council discussed privatization for maintenance and Mr. Couzzo said the.last time they did an analysis it was more expensive to do these functions by privatization. He said there is also poor quality service as well. Police Building Mrs. McDermott referred to Page 56, Police Building, and Mr. Couzzo said they have a recommendation that Item 464, Repairs Machinery & Equipment, be reduced to $4,000 and $2,000 will be transferred to the 120 regular salaries so that they can accommodate a reclassi- fication. General Government Buildings Mrs. McDermott referred to Page 50, General Government Buildings. Mayor Abramowitz asked what the job title Senior Tradesperson was and Mr. Couzzo said that would be a carpenter or an electrician. Mr. Couzzo said next year they are going to request an in-house mechanical person in to maintain all the air conditioning through- out the buildings, which will save the City the contractual arrangement that exists now. City Council Budget workshop Page 3 8/16/90/pm Mayor Abramowitz asked why there was a differential in the health insurance area and he suggested this be investigated. Mayor Abramowitz asked about the budgeted amount for electricity and City Manager Kelly said they estimated by the monthly amount charged. Park Facilities Mrs. McDermott referred to Page 90, Park Facilities. Mr. Couzzo said Parks are a subdivision of Recreation and should be reviewed separately. He said this is primarily for parks maintenance for ball fields, lighting, fertilizer, etc. C/M Rohr asked why Mr. Couzzo requested $43,690 for Part -Time Employees Wages and Mr. Couzzo said this was reappropriated for the Multi --Purpose Center. He said when the budget was prepared it was without a great deal of consideration for the Multi -Purpose Center because that is brand new. He said they revisited this and some of the items originally requested in the first submittal were redistributed to other line items. C/M Bender questioned item 430, Electricity, and noted that the department requested nothing and the City Manager proposed $46,000. Mr. Couzzo said this is for the lighting of ball fields, parks and was incorporated in the general electricity account in previous years. C/M Schumann questioned Item 539, Parks Maintenance, in the auLount of $50,880 and Mr. Couzzo said this was requested under anather account last year. He said where there used to be one account there are now four budgets for easier identification. C/M Schumann noted that Item 549, Parks Renovation is $19,000 and he questioned the difference between "maintenance" and "renovation,". Mr. Levine said the renovation concerns Veterans Park on Southgate Boulevard and the shelter as well. He said the jogging patch at Tamarac Park along with the pier have to be renovated. Mr. Couzzo said the Parks Maintenance account is for general maintenance throughout all the park facilities on a daily basis throughout the year.. V/M Hoffman said the renovation moves into maintenance after completion and Mr. Couzzo agreed. Mr. Burroughs said renovation is a one time project. Mr. Couzzo said the parks are well used. C/M Rohr asked if people with boats could apply for a decal to indicate that they' are residents of Tamarac and Mr. Couzzo said this is possible. City Manager Kelly said it is the South Florida Water Management District's property. Mr. Couzzo said the work done in the parks have been cost shared with the State and the Countys therefore, there would be problems charging people to use those facilities. Mrs. McDermott said the South Florida Water Management District has control over this but the park itself is funded with City and County funds. She said they are very strict on admission fee$ and right now this is being reviewed by the Department of Natural Resources, Mayor Abramowitz said there is a liability problem there. Mr. Couzzo said an incident occurred after park hours when the parr was closed and was unauthorized. C/M Rohr questioned whether there is grant money available for renovations and Mrs. McDermott said there is grant money available for this purpose and she is working on this. Mr. Couzzo noted that two grants were received for that park already. Mayor Abramowitz asked Mr. Couzzo if there are any plans to do any renovations to Caporella Park and Mr. Couzzo said no. He said this could be reviewed further. i City Council Budget Workshop Page 4 8/16/90/pm Recreation Activities Mrs. McDermott referred to Page 84, Recreation Activities. Mr. Couzzo said this is for the existing structure to be designated more for adult and senior activities and the Multi --Purpose Center for youth activities. He said they have split the budget and split personnel costs accordingly. He said they have staff that works on both types of recreation activities. Mr. Couzzo said there are significant changes to the budget with regard to some of the trips that the City offers. He said with the Finance Department's recommendation and assistance, those have become off line, off budget accounts. He said this means that money will be drawn in to pay for the trips but will not be reflected in the budget so that will show a reduction whereas last year this was in the budget. He said this will be easier to manage and keep accountability. Mayor Abramowitz asked what happens if there is a shortfall and Mr. Burroughs said this has not been addressed. He asked what the City's responsibility is on this. Mr. Couzzo said the department and the City puts on the programs and he feels the responsibility comes to them. Mr. Burroughs said if the City is going to be responsible then they will have to budget for this. Mr. Couzzo said most trip programs are not only self supportive but they generate a small profit. Mr. Couzzo said that surplus should be kept as a contingency in the event that a situation develops. C/M Bender said in the 1989/90 budget the total amount was $415,800 and for 1990/91 Mr. Couzzo requested $467,733. He said the City Manager approved $188,320 and he asked if the remainder amounts will appear in other budgets. Mr. Couzzo agreed. Mr. Couzzo said these changes have been happening over a period of years and he commended Mr. Burroughs for his diligence in budget preparations. Multi -Purpose Recreation Center Mrs. McDermott referred to Page 87, Multi -Purpose Recreation Center, City Manager Kelly said they are negotiating with the School Board for their use of the gymnasium of this facility and their proposal is for use from 9:00 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. He said they were told to plan on hours from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. every week day of the year. He said the concern they had was regarding the City's operating hours and the Recreation Advisory Board has certain ideas about this facility being open around the clock. City Manager Kelly said he has discussed this with Mr. Couzzo and Mr. Levine and decided they should plan on the building being closed at 9:00 P.M. to allow cleaning for the morning. He said his proposal to them was that they should absorb all the utility costsi such as, water, sewer and electric for the entire complex, not just the gymnasium since the facility is opened around the clock. He said since they are in a better position to accommodate capital expenditures, he also suggested they should pay for whatever capital equipment is needed in there. City Manager Kelly said the School Board representative could not commit to that but was anxious to work with the City. Mayor Abramowitz said he would like as much as possible from the School Board. Mayor Abramowitz asked the City Manager to submit to the School Board a reasonable report of expenses to cover the City's needs and City Manager Kelly said he would. C/M Rohr said the City does not know how much the expenses will be and Mrs. McDermott said when the City Manager negotiates a contract with the School Board there could be an open clause in there. City Council Budget workshop Page 5 8/16/90/pm An Tape 3 Mr. Couzzo said the Public Service Administrative Building should be on line by July, 1991, and, at that time, utilities and electricity must be provided. Parks and Recreation Fund Mrs. McDermott referred to Page 114, Parks and Recreation Fund. Mr. Burroughs said Page 114 reflects the income and they anti.cinate collecting $75,000 in impact fees and $192,000 at the beginning of the year for a total amount of funds available of $279,000. He said $44,000, reflected on Page 116, is for Tract 27 Sports Complex. He said there were items that were in the 555 budget that were taken out and put in this Fund 142 account. He said that leaves $235,000 for additional recreation and park projects. Mr. Burroughs said some of that money can be used for the MuXti-- Purpose Center if it is construction related, not equipment. Mrs. McDermott said it must be identified that the impact fees are'tor new construction which is very specific. Mr. Couzzo said the bads for the tennis courts came in with the lowest bidder at $94,000 for five tennis courts. Mr. Couzzo said the bid was for five tennis courts with a special- ized composition material on the top surface that makes play eaOier for all groups but especially seniors because it provides a cushioned surface for impact. He said this is more expensivei therefore, they can either redesign the top surface or reduce the number of courts to two or three. Mayor Abramowitz said they should have gotten a bid amount forfi.ve hard courts. Mr. Couzzo said no one uses asphalt for courts and Mayor Abramowitz said there are many throughout Tamarac now. 14Ir. Couzzo said the Council should authorize him or the City Managex to enter into negotiations with the engineer and the low bidder, for the tennis courts. Mr. Couzzo said he will check into this. ' Mr. Couzzo said when the engineer designed this proposal, they went for the better surface and thought they were within their budget. City Manager Kelly asked Council if they want to move forward on this project for the money that was bid and Mayor Abramowitz'said he does not want to spend $94,000. V/M Hoffman said $60,000 Was planned and Mr. Couzzo said $65,000 was estimated. V/M Hoffman asked if this could be renegotiated with the low bidder and Mr. Couzzo said they could probably work on this. C/M Rohr asked what kind of surface was recommended with two courts and Mr. Couzzo said there was a synthetic composition on the surface and was not a hard court. C/M Bender said there are funds available and Mr. Couzzo said yes. C/M Bender asked why Mr. Couzzo does not negotiate with all three bidders by asking that the depth of the surface be reduced. He said they would be given the oppor- tunity to reevaluate this. Mr. Couzzo said it is normal procedure to only negotiate with one bidder. Mayor Abramowitz said this would give the residents double what they had before. He said after 10:00 A.M. no one uses the courts. He said Mr. Couzzo was told by the engineer that five courts would be $45,000 and that would be much more than what the City has now. Mr. Couzzo suggested the City go with four courts with the surface negotiated with the low bidder. Mayor Abramowitz said he would like something done as soon as possible in a legal manner. Mr. Couzzo agreed to move forward on this. City Council Budget Workshop Page 6 8/16/90/pm 1 Mr. Burroughs referred to.Page 17, Non -Departmental, for Parks and Recreation and noted that this is the money left over at the end of the year. Mayor Abramowitz said in the last few years more money has been spent than ever before for recreation facilities for the younger people. He said because of the expense for upkeep of some of the buildings recently being built, he would like to revert and spend some money for the adult community of our City. Mrs. McDermott referred to Page 118, Trafficways Improvement Fund. Mr. Burroughs said this is the estimated income from interest and impact fees and going into this year they anticipate $774,840. He said there will be a total of $887,150. He said the anticipated expenditures on Page 120 are related to the Public Service Admin- istrative Complex, Mrs. McDermott said this account is very specific. She said Kelly Carpenter, Director of Community Development, had a private con- sultant do an analysis on this which should be received shortly. Mayor Abramowitz asked City Manager Kelly where this money can be spent and City Manager Kelly said it would be new construction for roadways or a relocation of utilities pertaining to construction. Mayor Abramowitz asked if it can be used for sidewalks and Mrs. McDermott said no. Mayor Abramowitz said the County is widening the road and is mandating that the pipes be changed. He asked if this money could be used for that construction and City Manager Kelly said he would check into this. City Manager Kelly said one of the things he would like for consideration would be the Hiatus Road construction in Land Section 7. He said this money was available from the developer in the southern half through the City property to the canal. He said it is the responsibility of the land owners to the north to extend that road through to McNab Road. He said they are in the process of forming a Community Development District to tax themselves to provide that infrastructure. City Manager Kelly said among the options the City has is that the City could loan the money to them to provide that, allowing them to do this with the City's money to bring that project and that land in line into the tax base earlier and to have the Community Development District be obligated to reimburse the City with interest. Mayor Abramowitz said that will require another Council meeting for consideration. Mayor Abramowitz questioned Items 6DF, Nob Hill Road Turn Lanes and 6DJ, Nob Hill Road Construction, on Page 120, and asked City Manager Kelly if this is mandated. City Manager Kelly said that is part of the plat and the City is committed to that. With no further business, Mayor Abramowitz adjourned this meeting at 12:00 P.M. Carol A. Evans City Clerk This public document was promulgated at a cost of $172.60 or $21.58 per copy to inform the general public, public officers and employees of recent opinions and considerations of the City Council of the City of Tamarac. City Council Budget Workshop Page 7 8/16/90/pm