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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1990-06-05 - City Commission Workshop Meeting MinutesCITY OF TAMARAC CITY COUNCIL AND TAMARAC PRESIDENTS COUNCIL JOINT WORKSHOP MEETING TUESDAY, JUNE 5, 1990 CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Abramowitz called this meeting to order on Tuesday, June 5, 1990 at 9:00 A.M. in the Council Chambers. MRITATION AM Mayor Abramowitz called for the Pledged of Allegiance followed by a Moment of Silent Meditation. PRESENT: Mayor Norman Abramowitz Vice Mayor Bruce Hoffman Councilman Dr. Larry Bender Councilman Henry Schumann Councilman Henry Rohr ALSO PRESENT: John P. Kelly, City Manager Pauline Walaszek, Secretary The Tamarac Presidents Council Members and Representatives Mayor Abramowitz said this was the first workshop meeting between the City Council and the Tamarac Presidents Council. He said he hoped this would not be the last meeting and he was delighted for the City Council to meet with the Community Leaders. He said he was informed by Herb Hayes, President of the Tamarac Presidents Council, that there were several questions that needed to be answered; therefore, the City's staff was in attendance. Mayor Abramowitz said the meeting would be informal and would be considered a Tamarac Presidents Council meeting. He said he was pleased to be present and after he introduced the City Council and staff, President Hayes would Chair the meeting. Mayor Abramowitz introduced Vice Mayor Bruce Hoffman, Councilman Dr. Larry Bender, Councilman Henry Schumann, Councilman Henry Rohr, City Manager John Kelly, City Clerk Carol Evans, Assistant City Manager Dina McDermott, Director of Community Development Kelly Carpenter, Fire Chief Ray Briant, Assistant City Manager/Director of Public Works/Parks and Recreation Mike Couzzo, Charter Board Chairman Stan Bernard, Director of Development Services Steve Oxenhandler and Chief Building Official Dan Wood. At this time, Mayor Abramowitz turned the meeting over to Herb Hayes, President of the Tamarac Presidents Council. President Hayes said he was pleased that the Mayor and City Council accepted his request for this joint workshop meeting. He said he hoped that the benefits of this meeting would be realized as the meeting progressed. President Hayes said the format of the meeting would he different than the Tamarac Presidents Council regular meetings. He said the reports would be held during the Page 1 City Council and Tamarac Presidents Council 6/5/90-pw meeting; however, the main purpose of this meeting Is provide public information for the various communits. President Hayes introduced the Officers of the Tamara Presidents Council, First Vice President Phil Weinbex Second Vice President Helen Sobel, Treasurer Leo Plat Financial Secretary Seymour Polster, Corresponding Se Shirley Blumfield, Recording Secretary Victoria Ryan. President Hayes said Seymour Polster has been with th Tamarac Presidents Council for 16 years; however, Mr. would be moving. He announced that Mr. Polster was re and he thanked Mr. Polster for the years he assisted Tamarac Presidents Council and the City. President Hayes introduced the Board of Directors Ca Walter Coglan, Jules Gersten, Herman Gross, David Kr Lieber, Malvina Mark, Harold Newman, Joseph Padwa, L Silverman, Bernie Simms and Lou Sohn. President Hayes said the Tamarac Presidents Council of expertise and he introduced the Trustees. He sai following Trustees were previous Presidents of the T Presidents Council, Gerald Karlen, Norman Karr, Irvi Lopatey, Raymond Munitz and Bernard Hart. President Hayes said Bernard Hart was a former Mayor Tamarac and Raymond Munitz and Morris Glicksman were Councilmembers. He said Carl Alper was a member of and Ben Lieber was the Chairman of the Advisory Boar as a member of the Bar and a recent employee of the Revenue Service. He said Jo Wright has set in seve courts and offices and she has been a great help to Tamarac Presidents Council. President Hayes said most of the citizens of the Cit realized that the Tamarac Presidents Council assiste residents. He said the Tamarac Presidents Council f taxation on the clubhouses because the clubhouses we considered to be an extension of the residents' livi He said the values of the homes were set at a specif but in some degree the value included the clubhouse of the ownership in the community. President Hayes said Tamarac Presidents Council foug lower utility residential fees and they supported th many things such as the merger with the Broward Sher Office and keeping the Florida Power & Light substat of Tamarac as far as possible. President Hayes introduced Sydney Stein, former Vice who was also a member of the Presidents Council. President Hayes said there were members -at -large that contributed to the City Council and recently, someone that there was a PAC member in the Tamarac Presidents Council. He said the Tamarac Presidents Council repr 5,312 condominium units and 11,175 housing units. He this was a total of 16,500 homes and, if there two pe each household, there would be 33,000 people that the Presidents Council was representing. President Hayes said the current expectation of the was 43,000 residents in Tamarac and the Tamarac Pres Council was representing the majority of the City. the By -Laws of the Tamarac Presidents Council called Page 2 City Council and Tamarac Presidents Council 6/5/90-pw cr4ry e P 1 ter sinng th 1 t , er, Ben d',a lot the a4a i y of o r e B r as P ell tear al lil el t le g t 0 e a the Citk in f '', s n to t ME11 30m sned s i p e in T m rac 1 members to promote good will and cooperation among the communities and present their views on matters of mutual interest and to provide a forum for the study of legal, accounting and other questions regarding civil and government affairs, health, safety and welfare of the City. President Hayes said from time to time the Tamarac Presidents Council has asked the City Manager or the Director of Engineering to come to the Tamarac Presidents Council meetings for a briefing on various subjects of interests such as the sanitation of the water wells. He felt at the beginning of his term it would be appropriate to meet jointly with the City Council and the City's staff to answer any questions the Tamarac Presidents Council may have. President Hayes said the next general meeting of the Tamarac Presidents Council would be held on September 11, 1990 because of the vacations and holidays. He said after the summer holiday there would be refreshments for the first half hour before the meeting. President Hayes said there were members that would be giving their monthly reports at the end of the meeting. Mayor Abramowitz asked that the reports be held in abeyance at this time because the Department Heads were needed to answer any questions the Tamarac Presidents Council may have and Department Heads were needed in their Departments. President Hayes asked what the status of the Multi -Purpose Complex adjacent to the Tamarac Elementary School. He asked when the opening date was anticipated. Mike Couzzo, Assistant City Manager and Director of Public Works/Parks and Recreation, said the project was on schedule and was within the budgeted amount. He said he anticipated completion in the first week of November, 1990. City Manager Kelly said Mr. Couzzo met on a regular basis with the architect and contractor to ensure that the anticipated time frame was being followed and to identify any problems that may arise. President Hayes said at one time it was discussed that the gymnasium would be available at the beginning of the school year; however, it would not be available. President Hayes asked if there were plans to provide for a City swimming pool. City Manager Kelly said no because many of the communities in the City had their own swimming pools and most communities were reluctant to put in swimming pools because of the liability and insurance problems. President Hayes asked when the tennis courts would be built at the Tamarac Sports Complex on Nob Hill Road and how many were planned. Mr. Couzzo said there would be 5 tennis courts and bidding was anticipated for opening soon. He said if the bids were feasible, the courts would be completed in November, 1990. President Hayes asked what the expected date of completion was for the comfort station at Veterans Park. Mr. Couzzo said he hoped the comfort station would be completed on July 4, 1990. Page 3 City Council and Tamarac Presidents Council 6/5/90-pw President Hayes said there would be a Fourth of July celebration sponsored by the City which would include focd, music and fireworks. President Hayes asked if there has been consideration for a secondary school located in the City. City Manager Kelly replied, no. He said the requirements by the School Board for a school in any municipality was al minimum of 20 acres of land and there was not 20 acres of land available in the City. He said the School Board would not locate in a commercial, industrial or in adult communities. 1 President Hayes asked if there have been responses regarding the grants the City recently applied for. City Manager Kelly said he submitted a report to evexyohei however, there was a misprint on the report. He said there was an extra 3 in the beginning of the amount. He said from May, 1989 to June, 1990 there several grants applied for by the City. He said there was a competition between the Cities regarding receipt of grants. City Manager Kelly said he was pleased with Dina McDermott, Assistant City Manager, because she was very aggressive in pursuing grants. He said the City applied for a total of 18 projects/grants and the City received 12 of those grants. He said the total amount of money applied for was $1,383,757,60 and the total amount awarded to the City was $765,975.60. City Manager Kelly said this meant a lot to the City because there were grants received for the Fire and Parks and Recreation Departments. He said the City received mcney for the Multi -Purpose Complex and for the upcoming Legislative Session, the City was requesting $150,000.00 to be used,for furnishing and equipment in the Multi -Purpose Complex. City Manager Kelly said there was approximately $145,13�.00 in grants pending. He said the City was lobbying the appropriate State, Federal and other agencies that were awarding the grants. He said getting the grants would assist the City greatly in taxes. He said a copy of this report was given to President Hayes for distribution to the members of the Tamarac Presidents Council. Mayor Abramowitz said he received a call from a newspaper reporter who drilled him for approximately 40 minutes regarding what and who was contacted by the City to receive the latest $150,000.00. He said the City previously received $250,000.00 and the surrounding Cities were curious how tLis was accomplished. He said the City of Tamarac deserved�itt�e grant and it was difficult work to get the grant. President Hayes said he chose the simpler questions to be asked first; however, the upcoming questions would be morn complex. He said this meeting was not a debate session;l however, it was an information session. He said if there were people who were interested in more information they could contact the City Council or City Manager after this meeting. President Hayes said the City was working to have better streetlighting and the City may have to borrow money thxjo,agh a bond program. He asked what the current plan was for streetlighting. Page 4 City Council and Tamarac Presidents Council 6/5/90-pw 1 F-i City Manager Kelly said Ed Shuty of the Engineering/Utilities Department recently passed away and he was handling the streetlighting study for the City. He said Mr. Shuty assisted the Tamarac Presidents Council on several issues and he would be greatly missed by the City. City Manager Kelly said the City was looking to fill the vacant position; however, a report was submitted to him regarding there being approximately 1,770 in the City which must be modified based on Florida Power & Light quotes. He said the one time cost to upgrade and modify the streetlights in the City was approximately 2 million dollars. City Manager Kelly said the estimated annual additional energy costs for the upgraded lights would be approximately $100,000.00 per year. He said during each budget year the City must provide for the payment of the energy cost which was approximately $500,000.00 at the present time. City Manager Kelly said if new lights were installed at a cost of approximately 2 million dollars for the capital expenditure, there would be a need for approximately $100,000.000 more. He said approximately $600,000.00 would be an on -going cost to the City for the additional lights installed in the City. City Manager Kelly said to upgrade the existing lights a phase program was needed and it was unlikely that the project would be done at once because Florida Power & Light was not in a position to assist the City immediately. He said he would be recommending that the City Council consider a financing program through a bank which would be a loan as opposed to a long term bond. City Manager Kelly said a Referendum was required for this project and he would be recommending that the language for the Referendum allow the City Council to have the option to decide which type of financial program would be in the City's best interest. He said his recommendation to the City Council has not been formulated. President Hayes said there were areas in the City that needed sidewalks and some areas did not have room for sidewalks. He asked the City's plan for sidewalks. City Manager Kelly said this project was also being investigated by the Engineering/Utilities Department and they determined on a preliminary map that approximately 21 miles of sidewalks were required throughout the City. City Manager Kelly said the information submitted by the Engineering/Utilities Department covered every place that did not have a sidewalk. He said the sidewalks on the major thoroughfares were being considered. He said there were several private roads in the City and the rights -of --way and easements were not available for the City to secure. City Manager Kelly said based on the preliminary map the cost for 21 miles would be approximately 1.25 million dollars. He said the map would be reviewed to see if there were areas that could be eliminated or areas that were not recognized. City Manager Kelly said there were people who did not want sidewalks and several people who wanted streetlights until they were installed by their homes. He said when streetlights were requested the City asked the community to vote as to whether or not they did want the streetlighting. Page 5 City Council and Tamarac Presidents Council 6/5/90-pw City Manager Kelly said he hoped that the voters approved the streetlighting and sidewalk projects as well as acknowledging that there may be a light pole or sidewalk at the frcnticf their property. He said these residents would be asked tc sign an acceptance that there would be an installation in front of their property. City Manager Kelly said in some instances there were more administrative costs arguing that the installation of a light or sidewalk was approved by the community as well as having Florida Power & Light remove and relocate the streetlight. President Hayes asked if the City took a position regarding the eligibility of communities with deed restrictions against having children under 16 and claiming exemptions under the Federal Fair Housing Act. Mayor Abramowitz said this question pertained to the legislators as opposed to the administrators. He asked �/M Hoffman to respond to this question. V/M Hoffman said he may not be able to answer this question to satisfy everyone because this was a very controvexsial matter. He said many of the residents were concerned with this problem because most residents belonged to a Civicland Homeowners Associations where this was a major issue. V/M Hoffman said it was not .felt that this was propexly an area that the City Council should get involved in because the matter was covered by Federal law and partially covered by County law. He said the City Council felt they should not involve themselves with this matter; however, the Federal Government passed the Fair Housing Law and there was a Town Hall Meeting called by the City Council concerning this'new law. V/M Hoffman said during that meeting there were representatives from HUD, the County Attorney's Office and various civil rights organizations attending. He said at that time, the City Council attempted to get an understanding of the new law, what it meant and how it would affect the communities. He said the only answer given by the representatives was that they did not know the answers themselves. V/M Hoffman said the City Council was investigating with great interest a litigation that was presently in the Federal Courts. He said the City Council would be keeping the residents informed of the actions regarding this matter.) Re said the City Council has not taken a position regarding this matter because there was no information available. President Hayes asked if the wages and benefits of the City employees compare to the wages and benefits of the other Broward County Cities. City Manager Kelly said the benefits that the employees� received were average compared to the other Cities in Broward County. He said the City offered a better life insurance program; however, long and short term disabilities were not offered. He said the Pension Plan was above average and all employees were required to participate with the Pension Plan with the exception of the City Manager and City Attorney, who were not allowed to participate. City Manager Kelly said the City was average in the Cost of Living increase (COLA) and an increase was provided to the City for cost of living increases. He said annual salary reviews or merit increases were not provided by the City. He Page 6 City Council and Tamarac Presidents Council 6/5/90-pw 1 1 1 said the City was below average in salary increases and, besides the COLA, there have not been salary increases at least in the last three years. President Hayes said the new fire code was a concern with the condominiums and he asked what enforcement was being taken regarding condominiums and apartments. He asked what the procedures were for an appeal or waiver regarding a violation to the new fire code. Ray Briant, Fire Chief, said this was a very complex question because every building was treated differently in Tamarac and Broward County. He said the Bill was passed by State Legislation in June, 1988; however, Tamarac did not begin enforcement of the code because it was so controversial; therefore, the State passed Bill 10-25 which rescinded some of the qualifications it needed for the existing buildings. Fire Chief Briant said the County Board of Appeals stated that the Bills would not apply to Broward County. He said a life safety code had to be enforced which would require electrical smoke detectors and alarm systems in major condominiums. Fire Chief Briant said the appeal process was outlined in the South Florida Building Code under Board of Appeals. He said the City's Fire Marshall, Jim Budzinski, was a member of the Fire Code Committee for the Board of Appeals. He said there was an appeal process available to those people who felt they were treated unfairly because of their installed fire protection systems. Fire Chief Briant said there has been one decision rendered in the City of Oakland Park. He said the Fire Marshall insisted that there be a hardwire smoke detector placed in a building and there are electricity operated smoke detectors on the market. He said the condominium being fined felt that this would prevail in the Courts and they were correct. Fire Chief Briant said an electrical operated smoke detector was plugged in; however, one of the major problems was there were no receptacles in the hallways where the smoke detectors were needed. Fire Chief Briant said the residents may be saving approximately $20.00 by buying the smoke detectors; however, an electrician was needed to wire the hallways which was more expensive than having electrical smoke detectors installed. Fire Chief Briant said he would be pleased to come to each condominium and explain each condominium's needs for the City's fire code. Mayor Abramowitz said it was an extremely complex problem and the staff and City Council were very aware of the problems with the fire codes. He said the Fire Officials had a responsibility for the safety and welfare of the residents and had the latitude and expertise in the fire regulations. He said Fire Chief Briant reviewed the types of system that would meet the Code and be in the best interest of the residents. Mayor Abramowitz said there have been condominium leaders calling him regarding the systems costing $90,000.00 and he said Fire Chief Briant and Fire Marshall Budzinski have met with some of the major condominium leaders in the City and explained to them what exactly was needed. He said the area of responsibility of the Fire Department was the safety and welfare of the residents. Page 7 City Council and Tamarac Presidents Council 6/5/90-pw Mayor Abramowitz said the Fire Chief and Fire Marshall were the experts and they were willing to assist the residents in any way. He said the City was very anxious to make sine that the residents of the condominiums were not getting ripped off. Mayor Abramowitz said the Fire Department would not suggest a company where the fire alarms could be purchased; however, they would meet with the various associations and organizations in the City regarding fire safety. He said the condominiums could be reassured that they were safe because of the actions of the Fire Department. President Hayes said he saw the fire at Sabal Palm and he knew that the surrounding Fire Departments were assisting each other. He said the City recently bought a new fire truck at a cost of $193,000.00 and this was a lot of money for equipment. He said the equipment could be used to assist surrounding Cities and vice versa. He said everyone should realize that the Fire Department was a member of the Mutual Aid Program which allowed all the Cities to work together during fires, etc. President Hayes said there were concerns with the older residents not hearing a fire alarm and the building leaders should recognize which people in their community were not able to respond to alarms. He said every condominium should have plans for evacuation. !ZAQE , 2 Fire Chief Briant said the Fire Department would go to any condominium or association meeting and conduct fire drills so everyone would be aware of what they should do. He said anyone interested should contact the Fire Department and schedule the fire drills. Fire Chief Briant said there were major problems with fire walls. He said the Fire Department made sure that aLl of the new buildings in the City had fire walls; however, The installation of cable television lines was creating problems by putting holes through the walls. He said this caused some of the drywall sheets to fall away from the wall which would not be as protective in case of a fire. He suggested that the residents have someone inspect the installation of the cables to make sure that damage was not done. President Hayes said there were several items reported';n the newspapers regarding the Independent Charter Review done by Carla Coleman from FAU/FIU. He asked what major changes the City Council expected at the present time to propose t the electorate. Mayor Abramowitz said the City Council empowered the City �- Y Manager to employee a professional study of the existing Charter, which had not been done for several years. He'said the City Manager hired the most experienced well qualified person in the State of Florida, Carla Coleman from PAU/FIU. Mayor Abramowitz said when the Independent Charter Review was finished, copies were given to the City Council and City Manager. He said there were workshops held On the Review of this and the City Council determined that they should work very closely with the Charter Board on the amendments tc the Charter. Mayor Abramowitz said the City Council reviewed the entire Independent Charter Review and selected the amendmentslby priority. He said the City Council met and discussed the Page 8 City Council and Tamarac Presidents Council 6/5/90--pw Review at several workshop meetings. He said the amendments were prioritized as 1, 2 and housekeeping. He said the housekeeping changes consisted of such things as a deletion or addition of a word or phrase. Mayor Abramowitz said the City Council had to decide how many amendments should be placed on the ballot. He said he thought about this matter for approximately 9 months and he informed the experts of his thoughts; however, he was informed that his thoughts were not appropriate. Mayor Abramowitz said it was felt that by placing a lot of the things on the ballot the voters would become confused or disinterested to vote. He said the City Council selected the amendments that should be placed on the September, 1990 ballot. Mayor Abramowitz said there would be two articles that did not pertain to Charter amendments which were approval to seek funding for streetlighting and approval to seek funding for sidewalks in the City. He said the City Council and City Manager were constantly receiving complaints about streetlighting and sidewalks in the City. Mayor Abramowitz said the City Council decided to place a total of 5 items on the ballot. He said the City Council reviewed the priority 1 amendments to the Charter and made a decision to place 3 amendments on the ballot. He said the City Council and Charter Board held a joint workshop meeting and he received a call after the meeting from a Miami Herald reporter indicating that he was surprised that the City Council and Charter Board felt the same amendments should be placed on the ballot. Mayor Abramowitz said he did not feel that this was unusual because there were certain things that were in great need of change. He said there were approximately 26 things that should be addressed and amended in the existing Charter because the changes were in the best interest of the City. Mayor Abramowitz said the City Council and Charter Board would have to meet several times before all of the necessary amendments to the Charter were made. He said the City of Davie recently placed 35 items on a ballot and the voters lost interest and did not vote on the items. Mayor Abramowitz said the Charter Board and the City Council decided on 3 amendments for the City Charter and the Charter Board recently voted on the amendments and approved them. He said he was pleased that the Charter Board and City Council's amendments were the same. Mayor Abramowitz said he would work very hard to have the City fund the streetlighting and sidewalk programs if the voters did not approve the proposed items on the ballot. Mayor Abramowitz said the items being placed on the September ballot would be: 1) funding for streetlighting 2) funding for sidewalks 3) Amending Section 7.11 from $2,000.00 to $5,000.00 and $5,000.00 to $10,000.00 4) Amending Article XI, City Attorney by changing "shall have an in-house City Attorney" to "may have an in-house City Attorney" Page 9 City Council and Tamarac Presidents Council 6/5/90--pw Mayor Abramowitz said when the previous in-house City Attorney left he was very worried because he was more li comfortable having an in-house attorney. He said since the Interim City Attorney, Alan Ruf, has been in this position, there have been no problems handling the City's business basically because Interim City Attorney Ruf has been with the City for several years as a contractual attorney and wa� very familiar with the City. City Manager Kelly said when the previous City Attorney) resigned, Interim City Attorney Ruf has been an asset to the City and it was pleasure working with him. City Manager Kelly said the City thought to interview for another in-house attorney as required by the Charter, He said during this time a contractual attorney who used to be with the Firm of Ruf and Carsky was contacted regarding the position. He said he came to the City to discuss this mlt'ter; however, when he found out that he could not have outside clients, he declined to take the position because he needed to keep his clients. He said the attorney said he would like to be the in-house City Attorney; however, the salary h would receive as the in-house. City Attorney compared to'ithe salary he would be losing by doing this was inconceivable. City Manager Kelly said he contacted several firms that hired attorneys at a starting salary of $55,000.00 plus benefits. He said he did not feel that the existing provision ;n the Charter were appropriate and he strongly recommended the amendment. Mayor Abramowitz said there were several attorneys in Florida; however, he would never approve to hire an att Oney for the City that did not have municipal experience. He said the City of Coral Springs paid approximately $700,000.00 per year to their attorneys. He said having a contractual attorney was good sound common sense. Mayor Abramowitz said the fifth proposed amendment for the September, 1990 ballot may be controversial. He said he felt that no one except the voters had the right to tell an elected official how long he could serve. Mayor Abramowitz said this government was a legislative not executive branch of government. He said there was no legislative branch of government in Florida that mandates. how long an elected official could run. Mayor Abramowitz said he felt that unlimited two year t0ins would be most appropriate for the the City; however, after discussing this matter with the City Manager, he was informed that staff and the officials had to deal with an election every year. He said having an election every year made staff very uncomfortable. He said he discussed this matter wi1b several people and they agreed. Mayor Abramowitz said he felt that two year unlimited terns would be approved by the voters; however, this was not I feasible procedure. Mayor Abramowitz said the Mayor of Plantation has been in office for 18 years and the voters kept him there. He said after getting all the facts regarding the terms of office, he felt that two year unlimited terms would not be appropriate for the City. Mayor Abramowitz said the Charter Board and City Councii felt that the ballot should contain a proposed amendment for,the Page 10 City Council and Tamarac Presidents Council 6/5/90-pw terms of office to be..3 three,,year terms. He said he will always feel that no one had the right to decide who should be the officials of the City except the voters. Mayor Abramowitz said the two female members of the Charter Board stated that they felt this amendment would be a great concern of the voters; therefore, 3 three year terms may be more acceptable as opposed to 3 year unlimited terms. He said he did not change his mind; however, proposing 3 three year terms seemed to be more logical. Mayor Abramowitz said the City Council and Charter Board both agreed that the proposed amendment of the Charter for September, 1990, would be 3 three year terms. Mayor Abramowitz said there were other things in the Charter that needed to be addressed; however, the provisions that did not need immediate attention would be discussed and proposed for future ballots. Mayor Abramowitz said the City Council received $2,000.00 for expenses and the Mayor received $3,000.00. He said last year, he spent $900.00 and the City Councilmembers did not spend their allocation. He said it cost the City approximately $40,000.00 to monitor the City Council's $11,000.00 expense. He said he did not feel this was appropriate and should be considered as a future amendment in the Charter. City Manager Kelly said his position took on more significance because it was perceived that he had more stability than the City Council because of the existing 2 two year terms. He said the Cities that succeeded and got ahead in Broward County were those that had Councilmembers in office for longer than 4 years. He said the County Commission and State Legislators would not waste their time appointing a Councilmember from Tamarac to a Board when they may not be in office next year. City Manager Kelly said the County wanted someone stable and knowledgeable as well as being a member for a specific time. He said by serving in positions of the Metropolitan Planning Office and various agencies in Broward County, funds for projects, etc., for the Cities were considered more because of the influence. He said this was why he would like to have the City officials serve longer because Councilmembers were the key people to handle and associate with the Government and State officials. He asked that the voters consider this factor when they are asked to vote to a change in the terms of office for elected officials. President Hayes said there were several projects in the City and he asked for a description of the private enterprises and City projects currently approved or presently being built in the City. Kelly Carpenter, Director of Community Development, said in the last 18 months there were 62 zoning cases, 26 major site plans and 53 minor site plans processed. She said 25 plat approval applications were processed which included vacation and delegation requests. She said 16 variances were processed and over 1,900 occupational licenses were issued. Ms. Carpenter said approved projects not currently under construction were Woodmont at the corner of 82nd Street and University Drive, south of the Target store which was planned to contain a Walgreens and a small row of offices of approximately 30,000 square feet. She said Pointe Plaza at the corner of Westwood Drive and Nob Hill Road presently had Page 11 City Council and Tamarac Presidents Council 6/5/90-pw an engineering permit and was considering their bui permits. Ms. Carpenter said there would be a Chevron gas sta i planned for the property were the existing Public W r building was located. She said the Public Service Administration Complex was planned for the west sid Hill Road between Commercial Boulevard and McNab Ro d said these projects have been approved but were not u construction. Ms. Carpenter said at the present time the projects were Westwood Pines on 77 Avenue and the corner of Westw od i She said there would be 162 units up to three stori s ar project was owned by Reynolds Aluminum. She said Le na Homes, Inc., was continuing an addition to Kings Point, portion of Devon and Fairfax III. She said Lennar H me , Inc., has platted a lot of their property wisely; h we'e the plans were not at the site plan process. .R, ive. the Ms. Carpenter said Colony Cove was being built soutl of t1rie Colony West Country Club which would consist of 38 tnits. She said the Market Place at Tamarac, located at 70 Ave ue'arid Commercial Boulevard, has a Walgreens on the north side. She said there would be a furniture market in the small shopping center. Ms. Carpenter said on Commercial Boulevard at the e tr e to the Turnpike, Classic Commercial Villas was being b it n front of Mainlands 5 and 6. President Hayes said the City had doctors, lawyers, bought space in specific buildings. He said there w new raw water wells being built and he asked if the plans for construction in Land Section 7, such as a light industry facility. Ms. Carpenter said Land Section 7 was the City's an industrial tax base area which were located between Commercial Boulevard and McNab Road, west of Nob Hi She said there was approximately 350 acres of Nob H up to the Sawgrass Expressway. Ms. Carpenter said Land Section 7 appeared to be m slowly; however, things were proceeding quite rapi said in the south half of Land Section 7 the City approved the Development of Regional Impact (DRI) consisted of 150 acres and was known as Westpoint. this included the projects of a hotel and light in businesses. She said it was anticipated that the p be applied for before the City Council went on the vacation. Ms. Carpenter said after the plats were approved the developers would be required to develop by 1994. She there was approximately 202 acres in the north half approximately 14 landowners. She said the City Counc to open Hiatus Road from Commercial Boulevard to McN which would force the traffic to go east on McNab Ro said this opened up the north half of Land Section 7 industrial development. She said there were two pla completed in the north half and most have been rezon accordance with the Land Use Plan. She said staff wa actively working with the landowners to form a Commu Development District whereby the owners of the prope absorb the costs of the public improvements. Ms. Carpenter said staff was working consistently to north and south half of Land Section 7 completed. Page 12 City Council and Tamarac Presidents Council 6/5/90-pw t who e t o e Orbe or c P ted . � e n i c' e s id t�i 1 s w uld d n 1 a reed b R. ad d he f 'r s' d i itly t ould got he President Hayes said there was a shopping center at McNab and Nob Hill Roads and he asked if there was any development regarding stores going into that area. Steve Oxenhandler, Director of Development Services, said there has been activity and, at this time, there was space for approximately ' i 19 stores. He said there were six small stores in the center; however, an anchor store has not been decided for that area. He said the City was working with the owner of the property to assist in filling the center. President Hayes said the newspaper has recently been indicating that the tax assessor came up with a report on June 1, 1990 regarding the assessment and values of the properties in every City. He asked if the tax assessment received affected the taxes for the City this year. City Manager Kelly said the City indicated that last year there was an increase in construction by 76 million dollars. He said this year, all the Cities were receiving decreases, and there was approximately 39 million dollars of new construction in this area submitted to the property appraisers office. He said this was the system for any community that was almost at buildout and the taxes would decrease because there would be less development. City Manager Kelly said there was an immediate reduction; however, Tamarac did very well and the percentage increase was 7%. He said last year the percentage was 7.6%, which included the revaluation of the existing properties and there was less than 1% increase. He said this year there seemed to be a 7% increase and Tamarac ranked 10th among all the Cities in Broward County regarding the tax base. City Manager Kelly said this may not be noticed often; however, Tamarac had a population of 43,000 by official estimates and the census may indicate the population to be more. He said Tamarac ranked loth in terms of the total value of all the property. He said there was $1,331,201,917.00 worth of taxable property in the City. City Manager Kelly said when he became the City Manager the previous Mayor of Lauderhill stated a few derogatory comments that Tamarac would never equal the City of Lauderhill in tax base because Tamarac did not know where they were going. He said in the last few years the City of Lauderdale had problems and were now down to $1,251,000,000.00. He said Tamarac was approximately 80 million dollars ahead of the City of Lauderhill. City Manager Kelly said last year the City of Lauderhill increased 2.7% when Tamarac increased by 7%. He said the increase last year was from $1,264,000,000.00 to $1,331,000,000.00. He said this seemed like a lot of money; however, this would generate approximately $200,000.00 in revenues for the City. City Manager Kelly said the City was waiting to see how the computation on the cigarette and sales tax would affect everyone. He said in certain areas in building the projection was approximately $385,000.00; however, this projection would decrease this year because the same pace of construction was not anticipated. Page 13 City Council and Tamarac Presidents Council 6/5/90--pw City Manager Kelly said the City would hold firm on the number of personnel in that area which has been reduced considerably over the years and most of the key people would be retained to handle rehabilitation work. He said there would be several projects in Land Section 7 and there would be personnel required. City Manager Kelly said the overall impact of the City has not been calculated and he was presently reviewing the budgets of the various Departments. He said the Deputyi Finance Director was retiring on June 29, 1990 and there would be a new Deputy Finance Director who would work with the Finance Director until he retired. He said the person selected and serving as the Deputy Finance Director nay take the place of the present Finance Director when he retired in September, 1990. City Manager Kelly said the budget process was almost ' completed and the salaries have not been increased except for COLA. He said capital improvements have not been budgeted for several years. He said the City was fortunate to retain vehicles when the merger with the Broward Sheriff's Office occurred. City Manager Kelly said the Building Department was requesting four new vehicles at an average cost of $L0,000.00 per vehicle. He said the average life nationwide for a vehicle that was in a pool type of program was 4-1/2 years. He said the City had a 1980 sedan with 153,000 miles on it and has been repaired 5 times last year at a cost of $1,500.00. He said there was a 1981 pickup truck which had 155,000 miles and had to be repaired 6 times during the year. He said there was a 1981 pickup truck with 142,000 miles which broke down 5 times and the repair costs were $2,OOC.00. He said there was a 1982 chevette with 144,000 miles which was repaired 5 times at a cost $1,500.00. City Manager Kelly said this did not include the down time for the vehicles and the time wasted for inspections, etc. He said many of the vehicles were rotted out in certain areas and the driver placed plastic bags over the gear shift $c it was not damaged from the rain. City Manager Kelly said the City was presently in Union negotiations and, when the personnel were driving the vehicles of this type, there were grievances through the Union stating that the employees were driving substandarc, defective equipment that was a hazard to them. He said the City ended up with more labor costs; therefore, the combined costs of not providing safe equipment increased the City's insurance liability and the risk factor as well as losslcf inspections which stopped revenue for the Building Department. City Manager Kelly said this year the City Council would have to make a determination as to which Department would get money for needed capital expenditures. He said last ye4i there was a lot of concern about the City doubling their taxes and the preliminary budget had to be sent to the County Appraisers Office no later than August 1, 1990. City Manager Kelly said after the City Council's vacation, they had to decide what rate should be sent to the Ccunty Appraiser's Office. He said the preliminary rate could'II>e lowered but not increased; therefore, most municipalities sent a higher rate to avoid problems during the thorough review. Page 14 City Council and Tamarac Presidents Council 6/5/90-pw ",, . City Manager Kelly said the City Council thoroughly reviewed the budget and decreased several items. He said when the tax rates of Tamarac were compared to the tax rate of the surrounding Cities, the residents had to remember that the other Cities had utility taxes included in their property taxes. He said the other Cities were generating more funds in other areas that were hidden and their Council's could look very good by not raising the taxes because they know that their respective Cities have grown since more people used Florida Power & Light, Southern Bell, gas lines and cable companies. Mayor Abramowitz said last year there were headlines in the newspapers regarding Tamarac raising taxes 100%. He said when a preliminary budget was sent to the County Appraiser's Office that budget could only be decreased. He said the City's tax rate last year was 14.7; however, the point of budgeting was not to lock the City in with a specific amount. He said this would occur this year because the City Council did not want a problem that they had two years ago. President Hayes said it was reported that the merger with the Broward Sheriff's Office would save the City approximately 1 million dollars the first year. He asked if the estimated saving was realistic. City Manager Kelly said this savings was a realistic cost. He said it was not a cost savings but a cost avoidance for the first year. He said the patrol was increased because of the merger and for the City to provide this type of service it would require the City Council to raise the budget to over 1 million dollars. City Manager Kelly said the City was not pleased with this increase; therefore, negotiations with the Broward Sheriff's Office began. He said the contract with the Broward Sheriff's Office said over the next 5 years the total increase of each maximum option was exercised by the Sheriff, which was to increase the cost each year. He said the total increase for 5 years would be less than what it would have been to retain the City's own Police Department for one year. He said the level of service has greatly increased in the City. TAPE 3 City Manager Kelly said the City was not paying the Broward Sheriff's Office for assisting during any function the City was holding. He said there were schedules worked between the City and the Broward Sheriffs Office for specific functions. City Manager Kelly said 3-1/2 years ago when the merger was proposed, his heart was not in it. He said he supported it because the City Council wanted the merger. He said he felt that the City should have their own Police Department so he could have more control. City Manager Kelly said he was very enthusiastic with the services being provided by the Broward Sheriff's Department. He said he still had the control of what Deputies worked for the City. He said the City had two Unions in the past that prevented them from doing anything regarding discipline. He said he had the authority to have a person transferred if they were not working in the benefit of the City. He said he also reviewed the Deputies being placed into the City prior to the transfers occurring. City Manager Kelly said this year the cost would only be increasing 3-1/2% and no Department in the City was able to have such a low increase in one year. He said 8 of the Page 15 City Council and Tamarac Presidents Council 6/5/90-pw Deputies in the City took home Police vehicles, which was a good incentive for lack of crime. He said when a person took a vehicle home, they had a tendency to take care of the vehicles more than if it was used by several people. City Manager Kelly said the Broward Sheriff's Office paid for the debt service of the Police Facility and part of the contract included that whatever increase they exercised on the service contract, the building costs would also bel increased. He said the rent for the building would bel, increasing and, at the end of the period, the City wou�d far exceed what the debt service would be in 5 years. City Manager Kelly said the Public Works/Fleet Maintenance Department would be given $70,000.00 per year to maintain the building; however, yesterday, the City began providing' preventive maintenance service to the Broward Sheriff's Office to the City throughout the district. He said the Broward Sheriff's Office would be providing the parts far the vehicles that they received at a good cost because cf the volume of the vehicles. He said parts would be transferred to the City and the Broward Sheriff's Office would charge a 15% markup on the parts to cover the administrative and inventory monitoring and control costs. City Manager Kelly said since the merger the Police Officers were able to step up in their positions and this could not have occurred if the Officers were employed by the City of Tamarac. He said the morale was great and he was very!, pleased with the outcome and services provided to the City. President Hayes said the next question was how the Police service was improved; however, this matter was stated by City Manager Kelly. He said he was informed that the Police Facility was being used to train the Police Officers. Re said the City was receiving more fines and forfeituresisince the City merged with the Broward Sheriff's Office. He said the City Manager indicated that the Police Officers in training were stopping speeders and giving more traffic citations. City Manager Kelly said the Police Officers were training during the week and there was a gymnasium at the Polica Facility which was used frequently. He said having the Officers coming -in and out of the City gave a greater visibility of Police service in the City. He said when the Police Officers recognized something that was not familiar, they investigated it. City Manager Kelly said there was approximately $285,000.00 as income from fines and arrests made by the Broward Sheriff's Office. He said this year to date, there was 30% expected for the total and it was projected that approximately $75,000.00 and possibly $100,000.00 would sae realized in excess of the previous amount. He said this was approximately $100,000.00 he expected incoming and would assist the loss of cost in the Building Department. City Manager Kelly said the City led the County in DUI arrests and this was because of most of the thoroughfares in the City. He said there were several people with DUZ arrests and drugs in the vehicle. He said the Broward Sheriff's Office tried confiscating certain things; however, most of the people arrested did not have a license or were dri�ing someone else's car. He said one vehicle was confiscated so far. i Page 16 City Council and Tamarac Presidents Council 6/5/90-pw f 1 President Hayes said the',City,was paying $105,000.00 this year to provide emergency ambulance service to the residents and he asked if the. City was getting the appropriate service for the money being spent. He asked if Medics Ambulance Service, Inc. was overpaid considering the $12.00 per carry the County paid to the ambulance service and the reimbursements from the insurance companies. City Manager Kelly said the City was presently paying Medics Ambulance Service, Inc., $100,000.00 this year. He said last year during the budget process while the City Council was away on vacation, he was negotiating with the ambulance company and he suggested that if the City could not get a better rate, he would recommend to the City Council that the service be eliminated. City Manager Kelly said the City Council was very upset with the residents complaining that they would not be able to have ambulance service. He said he used strategy which worked and the cost for service was reduced from $105,000.00 to $100,000.00. He said he felt the City was getting the appropriate service for the costs and he initially opposed the proposal for ambulance service when he first became City Manager. He said Helen Massaro, former Councilwoman, said the ambulance service should be provided to a City like Tamarac because the residents were older. City Manager Kelly said the City was not required to provide an ambulance service; however, it was a service offered by the City for those residents who needed ambulance service. He said anyone who had to use the service would feel that it was a cost savings and the service was appropriate. City Manager Kelly said the cost was $10.00 per carry paid to the ambulance company by Broward County and the reimbursements the ambulance company received from the medical insurance plans. He said for every call the ambulance service attended was not always a transport; therefore, they were not paid for those calls. He said when the ambulance service made a transport, they ran a risk of the person not having insurance. City Manager Kelly said there were incidents where the patients did not pay the ambulance service. He said the majority of the people had insurance and paid; however, it was not the full amount and the ambulance service only dealt with the insurance companies, not the patients. He said there were a few occasions where the residents received billing from the ambulance company and the matter was resolved by the City and Medics Ambulance Service. City Manager Kelly said sometimes with a change over in the personnel at Medic Ambulance Service, Inc., in processing the bills, the new personnel were not aware of the provisions; therefore, the bills were sent to the patients. City Manager Kelly said to date the ambulance service has not been over paid based on the calculations submitted by Fire Chief Ray Briant. He said the ambulance service could not have reached the additional cost of $142,000.00 above the subsidy. He said there was a possibility in the next coming year that there would be changes in the contract. City Manager Kelly said the City was negotiating with the ambulance company concerning the future. He said there may be a change in the cap or the fee dropped; however, at this time based on the average cost of a transport of $170.00, the Page 17 City Council and Tamarac Presidents Council 6/5/90-pw returns to the ambulance service were approximately $90,00 per carry. He said the Fire Chief monitored the carries of the City and Broward County and the next year's budget would reflect any changes that may be made. President Hayes said he was asked what could be done with Vanguard Village having a problem with mosquitos. He asked if the residents should contact the Public Works Department. City Manager Kelly said this matter would be referred to the Broward County Mosquito Control because the City was not responsible for spraying. President Hayes said there were members of the Tamarac Presidents Council who wanted to report to the Council on recent consumer matters. Irving Lopatey said the residents had appliance insurande with Florida Air Conditioning Supply Technicians. He said the State closed this business and there was little hopo in the consumers receiving a reimbursement for their appliances. He said there would be forms in the Consumer Affairs Office at City Hall for the residents who this matter affects. Mr. Lopatey said many of the residents would be taking their vacation and would not be able to vote in the upcoming elections; however, there were absentee ballots available and they should be given to the residents of the communities if they wanted to vote in the elections. President Hayes said David Krantz was the Chairman of Civic Affairs and he asked Mr. Krantz to report to the Tamarac Presidents Council concerning recent City Council actions. Mr. Krantz said there were two City Council meetings held in May, 1990 and he reported to the Tamarac Presidents Council of the City Council actions at those meetings. Mayor Abramowitz said if there were any representatives of homeowners or condominium associations located east cf 3tate Road 7 (441), they should meet with the City Manager after the meeting because there was an important matter he wanted to discuss with them. President Hayes thanked everyone for attending the meeting and Phil Weinberger, 1st Vice President, asked to address the City and Tamarac Presidents Councils. Mr. Weinberger welcomed a new member of Tract 27 woodmomt, Lakewood. The member was not present; however, a representative was present and thanked Mr. Weinberger for his recognition. Mr. Weinberger said he contacted Florida Power & Light, the City Engineering and the Public Works Departments. Re said there were surveys being done to determine where signals should be and the recent document provided standards which require certain conditions to be met for signs or lights installed. He said the information was lengthy; however, he felt the residents should be aware of certain things. Mr. Weinberger said on NW 58 Street and University Drive walk flashes were changed to allow more time for the residents to cross. He asked that the Presidents inform their residents of this and ask that they use the light signals provided. Page 18 City Council and Tamarac Presidents Council 6/5/90-pw Mr. Weinberger said outstanding matters were traffic lights for Sections 5 and 11. He said there has been a request for a light at 64th Court and NW 80th Court and was being evaluated by the City Engineers. He said "Don't Block Driveway" and "No U-Turn" signs were installed at on the Greens on McNab Road. He said a new City Engineer has been assigned to the outstanding requests and a report was expected within 30 days. Mayor Abramowitz said he never worked with anyone that displayed the diligence of Mr. Weinberger. He said Mr. Weinberger had an excellent relationship with the County and he was an asset to the City. President Hayes thanked everyone for attending and he was informed that he was acting inappropriately by jointly involving the City and the Tamarac Presidents Council. He said he was very pleased that this meeting took place and he hoped that future meetings could be held. Maury Kramer thanked Mayor Abramowitz for assisting his area, The Greens of Tamarac, in becoming a safer environment. He said the traffic flow was changed and now the area was safer. He said he felt this meeting would assist the residents in becoming more aware of City operations. Mayor Abramowitz said Mr. Weinberger assisted greatly in this matter and should be thanked. He said Mr. Weinberger was an asset to the City and has greatly assisted the communities of the City. Mayor Abramowitz thanked everyone for attending the meeting and he appreciated the City Council attending and asked if they wanted to comment on this matter. C/M Schumann said he was pleased and he enjoyed listening to the questions and answers. C/M Rohr said he enjoyed the meeting and felt a lot of information was given to the residents. He said there were several calls after the information in the Quad City 'Wewspaper. He said he felt the City was getting to the point ¢f starting a recycling program for the condominiums. He - 5aid the Task Force began and good results would be seen in -the near future. V/M Hoffman said he felt the meeting was very useful and enjoyable and he would like to see this occurring more frequently because there was a great deal to be learned by the Leaders of the Community and the City Council and staff. Mayor Abramowitz said he did not feel that the residents should always agree with the City; however, the actions of the residents should be for the benefit of the City. He said election time was over and he was not running for a position. Mayor Abramowitz said he was concerned when there were comments being made about actions being political. He said there was something that recently occurred that he would never forget. He said he was a member of the Advisory Board of Tamarac Elementary School and a former official of the City Council and Tamarac Elementary School was present, Sydney Stein. Page 19 City Council and Tamarac Presidents Council 6/5/90-pw Mayor Abramowitz said he did not know how Mr. Stein felt but the position was not the most appropriate thing for somecane to fill. He said the parents of these students were very concerned and very interested in what the City does forlltheir children. Mayor Abramowitz said he was informed about the program with Publix Supermarket concerning receipts being saved sc the schools could purchase Apple Computers. He suggested the matter be brought to the Tamarac Presidents Council to assist them. He said the young people indicated that the older residents of the City were not interested in their needs and activities. He said he asked someone to inform the Presidents of the Tamarac Presidents Council of the Program. Mayor Abramowitz said he was very pleased to announce that because of the assistance by the adult residents, the School had not 2 but 7 Computers. He said when he went to the next meeting of Tamarac Elementary School he indicated that the adults assisted in this matter. He said the students dxe-a pictures or wrote thank you notes to the adults for assisting them in getting the computers. He said he brought the ' letters from the children to the Tamarac Presidents Council meeting. Mayor Abramowitz said it was one of the nicer things that could have happened to him and he was asked by the School Advisory Board to thank the residents for assisting the'' school. He said he felt that this meeting today was another way to work together for a positive purpose. Mayor Abramowitz said the City was blessed and it should be kept this way which could be done by working togethez as they have today. With no further business, Mayor Abramowitz ADJOURNED this meeting at 11:45 A.M. 4 44'Jf kOL A. EVANS K �� CITY CLERK 1 i - i � r J "This public document was promulgated at a cost of $314.92 or $35.00 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." Page 20 City Council and Tamarac Presidents Council 6/5/90--pw 1 1