HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-03-06 - City Commission Special Workshop Meeting MinutesCITY OF TAMARAC
SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION WORKSHOP
is'QUARTERLY FY 2014 FINANCIAL UPDATE
THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2014
CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Harry Dressler called the Workshop of the City Commission to
order at 8:48 a.m. on Thursday, March 6, 2014 in the Mango Room at the Tamarac
Recreation Center, 7501 NW N. University Drive, Tamarac, FL 33321.
ROLL CALL: Mayor Harry Dressler, Vice Mayor Michelle J. Gomez, Commissioner Diane
Glasser, Commissioner Pamela Bushnell and Commissioner Debra Placko were in
attendance.
Also in attendance were City Manager Michael Cernech, City Attorney Samuel Goren,
Assistant City Manager Diane Phillips, City Clerk Patricia Teufel, Information Technology
Director Levent Sucuoglu, Public Services Director Jack Strain, Human Resources Director
Maria Swanson, Financial Services Director Mark Mason, Parks & Recreation Director Greg
Warner, Fire Chief Mike Burton, Chief Building Official Claudio Grande, Community
Development Director Maxine Calloway, BSO Chief Neal Glassman and Assistant Public
Works Director John Doherty.
City Manager Cernech said this is our first Quarterly Financial Update meeting which had
been delayed in anticipation of a new Commissioner and he extended his welcome to
Commissioner Debra Placako. City Manager Cernech said there are consultants from Keith
and Schnars who will walk us through the Corridor Study, which at some future meeting will
be brought before the Commission for adoption. City Manager Cernech said Public Services
Director Strain will also provide the Commission with a CIP update.
City Attorney Goren noted that this meeting is a special session and is open to the public and
everything is on the record.
City Manager Cernech introduced Shea Hansen from Keith and Schnars who gave a detailed
presentation on the Corridor Study including the buffer walls, streetscapes and gateways, a
copy of which is on file in the City Clerk's Office. Ms. Hansen and Bruce Reed, Director of
Landscape Architecture for Keith and Schnars, responded to a few questions and concerns
from the Commission. There was a general discussion regarding the color of the concrete
used in the streetscapes and its durability. There was a discussion of adding way finding
signs similar to what Coral Springs has along University Drive. City Manager Cernech said
Ms. Hansen and Mr. Reed have done a good job in giving Tamarac a concept to work with;
this is a road map and guide for the Commission to give staff an idea of how the Commission
wants the corridors to look. City Manager Cernech said staff can start working on way finding
signs now and it would just be a matter of choosing a style that will be a defining feature for
Tamarac. City Manager Cernech said there have been some discussions with the Sunrise
City Manager regarding the western end of Commercial Boulevard near the Sawgrass and
they are also interested in improving the look of the area. City Manager Cernech said that
once this is adopted and we make recommendations through the budget process we will
work with Sunrise to reach an agreement about the design of that gateway. City Manager
Cernech said staff will bring this back at a future Workshop and Commission meeting and ask
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1ST QUARTERLY FY2014 FINANCIAL UPDATE
for it to be adopted and we will also talk about this during the budget process this year and
then work it into the CIP Plan.
City Manager Cernech said with regards to the buffer walls, staff has already scheduled a
meeting for April 3rd to meet with individuals from Tamarac Lakes North and South to see if
they are receptive to having the buffer wall built. This will be the most difficult buffer wall
project and the hope is that people will embrace the project. City Manager Cernech
discussed some of the challenges associated with this particular buffer wall project.
Mayor Dressler recessed the meeting at 9:31 a.m. and reconvened the meeting at 9:43 a.m.
with all present as before.
Financial Services Director Mason said besides the financial update he would also be
updating the Commission on expenditures between $30,000 and $65,000, the Red Light
Camera Program, Colony West Country Club and the FY2014 Legislative Session. Financial
Services Director Mason gave a detailed presentation on the 1st Quarter Financial Report for
FY14, a copy of which is on file in the City Clerk's Office. Financial Services Director Mason
discussed the General Fund, Debt Services Funds, Special Revenue Funds, Capital Projects,
Enterprise Funds, Internal Service Funds and the Risk Fund. Financial Services Director
Mason went over several projects with expenditures between $30,000 and $65,000.
Financial Services Director Mason then gave a brief history and an update on the Red Light
Camera Program. Mayor Dressler asked for a reportcomparing accident rates to see if there
had been a reduction in the number of accidents at intersections with red light cameras and
Chief Glassman said he is working on that report. Financial Services Director Mason gave an
update on Colony West Country Club from the soft opening on December 12, 2013 through
the present and discussed some of the acquisitions and improvements the City has made at
the golf course. Financial Services Director Mason discussed a few items that are before the
legislature this year, including possible changes to the red light camera statute, reducing the
State sales tax for telephones/cell phones, extension of hurricane and back -to -school sales
tax holidays, new regulations on wastewater treatment plants and pension reform. Financial
Services Director Mason responded to questions from the Commission throughout the
presentation.
Mayor Dressler recessed the meeting at 10:39 a.m. and reconvened the meeting at 10:49
a.m. with all present as before.
Public Services Director Strain introduced Assistant Public Works Director John Doherty who
would be updating the Commission on the CIP projects. Assistant Public Works Director
Doherty gave a detailed presentation, a copy of which is on file in the City Clerk's Office.
Assistant Public Works Director Doherty discussed recently completed projects, active and
future projects with various staff members responding to questions from the Commission.
City Manager Cernech noted that the CIP team has worked to try to expedite certain projects
as the City spends a lot of money on things people never really see but are necessary.
There was a brief discussion regarding the buffer walls and getting communities to get on
board, the necessity for the walls as well as the upkeep and maintenance of the walls. Mayor
Dressler said staff has to define reasonable guidelines to get the communities to agree to the
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1ST QUARTERLY FY2014 FINANCIAL UPDATE
walls because the City does not want to be in a situation where there will be endless
negotiations for the placement of the walls in certain communities.
There being no further business to come before the City Commission, Mayor Dressler
adjourned the meeting at 11:27 a.m.
Patricia Teufel, CM
City Clerk
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Page 3 of 3 SPECIAL COMMISSION WORKSHOP MEETING March 6, 2014
1ST QUARTERLY FY2014 FINANCIAL UPDATE