HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-06-29 - City Commission Special Workshop Meeting MinutesCITY OF TAMARAC
SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION WORKSHOP
THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2017
CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Dressler called the Special Workshop of the City Commission to
order at 9:04 a.m. on Thursday, June 29, 2017 at the Colony West Golf Club, 6800 NW 88tn
Avenue, Tamarac, FL, 33321.
ROLL CALL: Mayor Harry Dressler, Vice Mayor Debra Placko, Commissioner Marlon Bolton,
Commissioner and Commissioner Julie Fishman were in attendance.
Also in attendance were City Manager Michael C. Cernech, Assistant City Manager Diane
Phillips, Assistant City Attorney David Tolces, City Clerk Patricia Teufel, Financial Services
Director Mark Mason, Parks & Recreation Director Greg Warner, BSO Captain Neal
Glassman, Assistant Building Official Patrick Richardson, Public Services Director Jack
Strain, Information Technology Director Levent Sucuoglu, Community Development Director
Maxine Calloway, Fire Chief Mike Burton, Assistant Human Resources Director Lerenzo
Calhoun, Budget Manager Jeff Streder, Grants Administrator Mike Gresek, Management &
Budget Analyst 1 Jasmine Lopez and Public Information & Media Specialist Elise Boston.
City Manager Cernech said today we are going to talk about the FY18 proposed budget.
This has been a long process for our budget staff who have been working hard for months.
City Manager Cernech thanked Finance Director Mason and the budget staff as well as
department directors and their staffs for the work that went into preparing the proposed
budget. City Manager Cernech said the proposed budget has been formatted to make sense
for the Commission members and added that this is the first time that Commissioners Bolton
and Fishman participated in this and hopes they find it interesting and easy to understand.
City Manager Cernech said you will hear from Finance Director Mason about the overview of
the budget and then Department Directors will make their presentations. City Manager
Cernech said after that we will talk about things of interest to the Commission members and if
the Commission has questions staff is prepared to answer them. City Manager Cernech said
we will then move on to Additional Items for Discussion. This process has worked well for us
in the past and what you are seeing today is 85% of what was presented last year. Our focus
is also on the next three years as it serves our community well.
Financial Services Director Mason provided a comprehensive overview of the City's proposed
budget, including the proposed millage rate and he and City Manager Cernech responded to
questions throughout the presentation, a copy of which is on file in the City Clerk's Office.
There was a discussion on lowering the millage rate. City Manager Cernech said it is
important to remember the value of the services we offer for the taxes we charge. Staff has
concluded that the taxes are appropriate. If we lower the millage rate we would have to take
out some of the day to day operations. Mayor Dressler recessed the meeting at 10:07 a.m.
and reconvened the meeting at 10:26 a.m. with all present as before.
For the remainder of the morning the Commission received department budget presentations
from the Assistant Building Official Richardson, Captain Glassman, City Clerk Teufel and
Public Information & Media Specialist Boston. Staff responded to questions throughout their
presentations. Commissioner Fishman asked for information about the E Permit classes that
are offered by the Building Department and information on the next Gun Safety class. There
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was a discussion about better promotion of Tamarac and getting better information out to the
residents via different forms of media. Mayor Dressler suggested making highlights of the
Commission meeting available for people to view which needs to project the image of the
Commission working as a team. _
Mayor Dressler recessed the meeting for lunch at 12-01 p.m. and reconvened the meeting at
1:00 p.m. with all present as before. For the remainder of the afternoon the Commission
continued to receive budget presentations from Community Development Director Calloway,
Financial Services Director Mason and Fire Chief Burton. Mayor Dressler recessed the
meeting at 2:34 p.m. and reconvened the meeting at 2:46 p.m. Department budget
presentations continued with Assistant Human Resources Director Calhoun; IT Director
Sucuoglu and Parks & Recreation Director Warner.
Commissioner Gomez stated that she wants another code enforcement officer for evenings
and weekends and City Manager Cernech said we will have a workshop to provide an update
on Code Enforcement. Mayor Dressler said he wants a report from the Ferguson Group
relative to changes in Medicare. Commissioner Gomez said she would like to see a battle of
the bands event in Tamarac. Commissioner Bolton suggested merging the Multicultural
Festival with the Taste of Tamarac in late 2018. There was a lengthy discussion about events
held in tandem with the Chamber of Commerce.
Department budget presentations continued with Public Services Director Strain. Staff
responded to questions from the Commission throughout their presentations.
Financial Services Director Mason gave brief presentations on the new Homestead
Exemption that will be on the November 2018 ballot (HB7107); the implementation of Solar
Tax Relief (CS/SB 90) and the Tax Cut Package (HB 7109). Finance Director Mason added
that Tallahassee is looking to strangle a city's ability to collect revenue. Finance Director
Mason's presentations are on file in the City Clerk's Office.
Maxine gave a presentation on the Buffer Wall Project — Round 2 and responded to
questions from the Commission throughout the presentation, a copy of which is on file in the
City Clerk's Office. Parks & Recreation Director Warner gave a presentation relative to the
Woodglen Park Conceptual Plan. Mayor Dressler asked Parks & Recreation Director Warner
to firm up the information on the conceptual plan and bring it back to the Commission.
Commissioner Bolton gave a presentation on a conceptual idea of "Baileys Park Dream
Park", a copy of which is on file in the City Clerk's Office. Commissioner Bolton said the
property for the proposed park is currently under contract and wanted to know if the
Commission would pursue this idea if the current contract for purchase does not go through.
Mayor Dressler thought it was a cool concept but we will have to wait and see. City Manager
Cernech noted that this is a visionary idea and said if you build an amphitheater you have to
program it and those things would have to be funded. City Manager Cernech said we are
keeping an eye on the property and the contract. City Manager Cernech talked about various
areas along Tamarac's corridors that need improvement.
City Manager Cernech talked about the Parks & Recreation Master Plan which contains the
Woodglen Park concept and said staff will purse the idea and reach out to communities to
see if they have an interest. City Manager Cernech noted that there is a large number of
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HOA's whose amenities are in disrepair. City Manager Cernech said staff will flesh this
concept out and if it makes sense we will bring it back to the Commission for consideration.
There being no further business to come before the City Commission, Mayor Dressler a
adjourned the meeting at 6:10 p.m.
Patricia Teufe , C Ir
City Clerk
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