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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-03-23 - City Commission Workshop Meeting MinutesCITY OF TAMARAC CITY COMMISSION WORKSHOP MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015 CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Harry Dressler called the Workshop of the City Commission to order at 9:32 a.m. on Monday, March 23, 2015 in Conference Room 105, Tamarac City Hall, 7525 NW 88th Avenue, Tamarac, FL 33321. ROLL CALL: Mayor Harry Dressler, Vice Mayor Pamela Bushnell, Commissioner Michelle J. Gomez, Commissioner Diane Glasser and Commissioner Debra Placko were in attendance. Also in attendance were City Manager Michael C. Cernech, City Attorney Samuel S. Goren, Assistant City Manager Diane Phillips and City Clerk Patricia Teufel. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Commissioner Gomez led the Pledge of Allegiance. 1. Presentation of the FY14 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) - Financial Services Director Mark Mason, Pablo Llerena, GSLC & Company, and Financial Services Assistant Director/Controller Christine Cajuste appeared. Financial Services Director Mason gave a presentation, a copy of which is on file in the City Clerk's Office. Financial Services Director Mason said the City's Near -Term Financing is good and the City continues to be well able to meet its ongoing obligations; the City's Financial Position is good and the overall economic conditions appear stable for the near future. Mr. Llerena went over the Report to Those Charged with Governance. Mayor Dressler commented that the report is extremely readable and clear. 2. Update on Traffic Calming Policy - Public Services Director Jack Strain appeared and gave a presentation, a copy of which is on file in the City Clerk's Office. Public Services Director Strain went over the non -qualifying and qualifying criteria used to determine if traffic calming measures are warranted and talked about the recommended changes based on staffs research. Public Services Director Strain addressed a few questions and concerns from the Commission. Public Services Director Strain ended by talking about restriping patterns for all traffic calming measures. 3. Update on CivicSend Email Feature - Information Technology Director Levent Sucuoglu appeared and said the CivicSend is a new communication tool that residents can sign up for and utilize to subscribe to any of the topics or programs the City provides either by text or email. IT Director Sucuoglu advised that they used Commission's blast email distribution lists as a starting point and then demonstrated to the Commission how people can subscribe to CivicSend. All agreed that this was a good tool for everyone to use. IT Director Sucuoglu responded to a few questions from the Commission. 4. Discussion - Mayor and Commission Representation/Assignments. - City Manager Michael Cernech said the purpose of this discussion is to make sure that Tamarac is well represented and informed with what is going on not only in Broward County but on a national level and in order to determine if we are, we need to make sure what boards Page 1 of 5 COMMISSION WORKSHOP MEETING March 23, 2015 the Commission Members are on. City Manager Cernech said he had spoken with the Commission privately and asked them to think about what boards or committees they are currently on. Mayor Dressler said historically the Mayor is involved with the committees like the Broward League of Cities, for example, and he has been attending meetings to be informed as to current issues. Mayor Dressler said he is not inclined to get involved in committees or go to Tallahassee. Mayor Dressler said he has been a delegate on the MPO for the last 7 years and feels it is time for someone else to be a delegate as this would be a great opportunity to go and network and form relationships with people at the County level. Mayor Dressler said he has been a Trustee on the General Pension Plan Board for the last 8 years and wants to continue on that board and continue on the Broward League of Cities as well. Mayor Dressler said that with regard to the National League of Cities he wants to get involved depending on what the issues are; however, as he is not keen on traveling, he would like an alternate to be able to attend meetings and bring back information. Mayor Dressler talked about attending a recent meeting and bringing that information back to the General Pension Board. Mayor Dressler noted that when the Commission members attend these meetings there is an expectation that they will provide a report to the other Commission members and staff at regular commission meetings. Mayor Dressler talked about Commission members attending events in districts other than their own. Mayor Dressler said he no longer wants to be a delegate to the MPO; wants to remain with the General Pension Board; the Broward League of Cities; the National League of Cities and continue to deal with lobbyists on important issues both locally and in Washington. Mayor Dressler said he would also expect to attend any meetings that deal with litigation; i.e. the Resource Recovery Board litigation, and make a report when he is legally able to do so. Mayor Dressler ended by saying that he does not want anyone to do anything that they do not want to do and then not attend meetings. Vice Mayor Bushnell said in the past she attended the National League of Cities meetings and found it to be a waste of money and time to travel to those meetings and would shy away from the National level unless it was absolutely necessary. Vice Mayor Bushnell said she goes to the Florida League of Cities, but is not on any committees; the Broward League of Cities and is on two committees, the Education Committee and Ethics Task Force; Executive Airport Board in a non -voting position; appointed to the Board of Health Magistrate Board by the Broward League of Cities and will remain on that Board; Mission United; attends the Parks & Recreation and Veteran's Affairs meetings; a member of CERT, COPS, Kiwanis Club, Historical Society and is involved with the Tamarac Chamber of Commerce. Mayor Dressler recessed the meeting at 10:41 a.m. and reconvened the meeting at 11:06 a.m. with all present as before. There was a brief discussion about being a member of the State Rd. 7 Collaborative as there is only 18 feet of State Rd. 7 located in Tamarac and Vice Mayor Bushnell asked if we are still paying dues for that board and City Manager Cernech said he would look into it. Page 2 of 5 COMMISSION WORKSHOP MEETING March 23, 2015 Commissioner Glasser said she is on the University Hospital Board and attends meetings in person and via phone; active on the Aging and Disability Resource Center Board and will be honored and inducted into the Senior Hall of Fame in May. Commissioner Glasser said she has been very involved with the Democratic Party at many levels and knows almost everyone and has no problem speaking with people if Tamarac needs something. Commissioner Placko said she is on the Broward County Advisory Grant Board and is willing to serve on other boards if the need arises. Mayor Dressler said Commissioner Placko can attend the Northwest Council of Elected Officials in his place and should consider joining the MPO and fill in when other Commission members cannot attend their respective board or committee meetings. Commissioner Gomez said she is on the Kiwanis Club Board; Relay -for -Life Committee; attends the Chamber of Commerce meetings and events; attends the Parks & Recreation Board meetings; tries to attend the Northwest Council of Elected Officials meetings; Broward County Housing & Community Development Task Force; Real Estate Council of Broward County; Florida Bar Grievance Committee; BLC Charter Review and The Legislative & Advocacy Committees; Smart Growth Board; Broward County Planning Council; National League of Cities National Transportation and Infrastructure Steering Committee. Commissioner Gomez said she will be going to Tallahassee next week and will speak to Tamarac's delegates and noted that it important that we establish these kinds of relationships. Commissioner Gomez said she has no issue if Commissioner Placko wants to attend the Parks & Recreation Board meetings. Mayor Dressler said it is important that the Commission coordinate everything through staff so as not to waste time and noted that "when they operate as a team they are successful and when they do not operate as a team they will fail". 5. Discussion - Selection of Director, Alternate and Second Alternate to Broward League of Cities — City Clerk Patricia Teufel appeared. After a brief discussion there was a consensus to appoint Mayor Dressler as Director, Vice Mayor Bushnell as Alternate and Commissioner Placko as Second Alternate. Mayor Dressler said Commissioner Gomez has something that she needs to discuss with the Commission. Commissioner Gomez said with regards to the discussion about the art on the BSO building it was her understanding that there would be future discussion about moving the elsewhere. Mayor Dressler said normally when someone wants to discuss an item it has to be submitted to the City Manager 5 days prior to the meeting. City Manager Cernech said this discussion came up in his briefing with Commissioner Gomez. He recommended that Commissioner Gomez bring it up at today's workshop so that we can clarify the issue if we misheard the Commission's intention. Commissioner Gomez said that she thought the art scheduled for the BSO wall was not the best place for the art, and after the workshop thought it would be brought back to discuss another location and had that not been the case would have pulled it off the Consent Agenda. Commissioner Gomez asked to be able to bring this item back for discussion. Page 3 of 5 COMMISSION WORKSHOP MEETING March 23, 2015 Mayor Dressler said he remembers the issue and it was his understanding that the actual artwork would be brought back to the Commission for final approval. City Manager Cernech concurred with Mayor Dressler but said that if the Commission is not happy with the location it can be changed. City Attorney Goren said this matter could be brought back for discussion via a Motion for Reconsideration only on the issue of whether or not to reconsider the substantive issues and not a vote on the subject itself. For example, failing a Motion for Reconsideration the matter does not get re -heard; and if there is a Motion to Reconsider the issue, then you allow that issue to be debated and voted on as well. City Manager Cernech restated that it was his recollection that the Commission wanted to see the art work and that we had agreed upon the location. Staff is very good about getting decisions from the Commission and implementing those decisions as we get good and clear direction and was surprised that there was ambiguity about this issue. City Manager Cernech said that is why he wanted to get it back before the Commission as we do not want to put up something on the side of the police station if that is not what the Commission wants. Mayor Dressler asked Commissioner Gomez to restate her concerns and she responded that she has trouble with the location and feels it would be better somewhere else like the Community Center. Mayor Dressler asked the Commission if they had a problem re -discussing this under a Motion for Reconsideration. City Attorney Goren said if the Commission would like to have the matter reheard based upon the need for clarification the City Manager can simply add an item on the agenda for Wednesday's meeting which would be a Motion for Reconsideration and discussion regarding this issue. This would then give the administration an opportunity to re- present and re -hear the Commission's thinking. City Manager Cernech said that based on what he thought the Commission's prior direction was, the artist was developing some concepts for the space and those would be shared with the Commission for approval and therefore thought the art was the issue and not the location. Mayor Dressler said his recollection was the issue of the location was secondary to the art that was actually going to be put on the wall. City Manager Cernech said staff will go back and review the meeting minutes and video from that decision and if the Commission feels the need to do a Motion for Reconsideration it can be done. City Attorney Goren said we will need a consensus today to have the Motion for Consideration placed on the agenda on Wednesday to make the first decision to see if you want to have a Motion Reconsideration. City Attorney Goren talked briefly about F.S. 286.0114 which governs Public Meetings. City Manager Cernech said he expects the Commission to direct us to bring it back at the next workshop for discussion to clarify the issue and possibly have the artist appear with samples of the art he is proposing for the mural. There was a Wednesday's workshop. consensus to add a Motion for Reconsideration to the agenda for meeting in order to bring the item back for discussion at the next Page 4 of 5 COMMISSION WORKSHOP MEETING March 23, 2015 With regards to Item No. 4 on today's agenda, Vice Mayor Bushnell asked if staff will compile a list of what board and committee meetings the Commission attend and City Manager Cernech responded they will and if there are gaps staff will come back to the Commission and work internally to make sure there is coverage. There being no further business to come before the City Commission for consideration, Mayor Dressler adjourned the meeting at 11.58 a.m. \\��111t11/i/jj c o Patricia Teufel, tM City Clerk Page 5 of 5 COMMISSION WORKSHOP MEETING March 23, 2015