HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994-02-18 - City Commission Special Meeting MinutesCity Council Special Meeting
2/18/94/KJ
Page 1
lei *4 WOT5T%3
CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1994
CALL T,O ORDE$;, Mayor Bender called this meeting to order on
Friday, February 18, 1994 at 2:00 p.m. in Conference Room #1 of
City Hall.
EBKUA
P VII-iol..4 j 4. �
Mayor H. Larry Bender
Vice Mayor Irving Katz
Councilman Norman Abramowitz
Councilman Joseph Schreiber
Councilman Henry C. Schumann
Dina McDermott, Interim City Manager
Mitchell S. Kraft, City Attorney
Larry DuPre, Personnel Director
Carol A. Evans, CMC, City Clerk
Karen Jackson, Secretary
*****************************************************************
The purpose of this meeting is to interview the three finalists
for the position of City Manager in alphabetical order as follows:
2:00 p.m. Dennis Beach
2:45 p.m. Robert Noe
3:30 p.m. Ann Perrotta
V/M Katz said what happens during this meeting will not
necessarily reflect what will happen after the March 8 election.
He said there are only two current Council members who are
guaranteed to be in office after the election. He asked how Mr.
Beach feels about coming into this type of environment.
Mr. Beach said anyone who comes into a set of circumstances such
as this would have a certain amount of apprehension; however, this
would not dissuade his interest in this position.
V/M Katz asked if this would have any bearing on his terms of
employment.
Mr. Beach said it would. He said the whole point of an employment
agreement with a City Manager is to address the provisions of
termination, in the event that the political direction of the
community changes and that Manager is unable to change direction
with the City Council.
Mr. Beach said if a person comes into the job and does not have
adequate protection from the process, then he would be under a
great deal of apprehension all of the time. He said the
termination provisions or the employment agreement of whoever is
brought into the City, would be very similar with or without an
upcoming election.
V/M Katz asked if Mr. Beach had any problems assimilating the
environment of the Department Heads and other employees in his
previous employment, rather than coming in with a new set of
employees.
City Council Special Meeting
2/18/94/KJ
Page 2
Mr. Beach said he has been in situations where some positions
would change and also in other communities where everything
remained the same. He gave a history of Hertz Rent-A-Car and its
management.
C/M Schreiber said it is incumbent upon this Council to see to it
that whomever is selected for this position has security in the
position so that they cannot be terminated or removed for a
political whim. He said the new Manager should be afforded the
opportunity to prove himself for the position.
C/M Schreiber requested that Mr. Beach define his automated solid
waste system.
Mr. Beach said there were several things that occurred as a result
of that. He said the community had a traditional collection
process and also had one of the first incineration operations in
the country. He said they were successful in implementing a semi -
automated collection system that involved one --man units. He
explained the way the one-man units operated.
C/M Schreiber asked if this system was cost-effective and Mr.
Beach said it was very successful and cost-effective. He said the
biggest obstacle is convincing the public that a one -time -per -week
collection is all that is necessary.
C/M Abramowitz read a memo sent to all applicants regarding the
City Manager selection process. He asked if Mr. Beach is aware
that historically, this City has never given a contract to the
City Manager and Mr. Beach acknowledged this.
C/M Abramowitz asked Mr. Beach what would happen if a member of
Council came to him and directed him to do something.
Mr. Beach said the direction going to a City Manager comes out of
the City Council as a body and as a whole. He said the Council
members, individually, are not in a supervisory position over the
City Manager. He said it is up to the City Manager to try to have
the tact to deal with these issues as they come up.
Mr. Beach said if he can accommodate an individual Council member
without going against policy that is adopted by the overall City
Council, then he would attempt to do so. He said if the direction
does not comply with the policy set forth by the majority of the
City Council, it has no basis of authority.
C/M Abramowitz referred to a situation where the direction is not
illegal and is well-founded but the Charter does not permit it.
Mr. Beach said if it is in violation of the Charter then he would
not do it.
C/M Abramowitz asked if a memo would be sent to the other Council
members if such direction was given and Mr. Beach said it would
depend on the circumstances.
Mr. Beach said many times new Council members may or may not fully
understand the pervue of their office and responsibilities.
C/M Abramowitz said he is referring to repetitious requests. He
said he would think that it would be the City Manager's
responsibility and duty to alert the rest of Council about such a
problem.
Mr. Beach said he would need to have the majority of support and
it is his intention to treat all members of Council with respect.
C/M Schumann said he is detecting a lot of scare tactics. He said
Council is going to build adequate safeguards to prevent this. He
1
City Council Special Meeting
2/18/94/KJ
Page 3
said after March 8, there will be two, possibly three new Council
members in office.
V/M Katz asked what the population of Port St. Lucie is and Mr.
Beach said the most recent census was 67,000 people.
V/M
Katz asked what the
current budget is for Port St. Lucie and
Mr.
Beach said 38 million
dollars but it is expected to increase
to
52 million within the
next year.
V/M
Katz asked if there
is only one Assistant City Manager, being
Mr.
Beach and Mr. Beach
said, yes.
V/M Katz asked if the grant work is done in-house and if Port St.
Lucie has a professional grant writer on staff and Mr. Beach said
the work is done in-house and the City has a Grants Coordinator on
staff.
V/M Katz asked what amount would be deemed for a carry-over or in
reserve on a 38 million dollar budget and Mr. Beach said Port St.
Lucie dedicates 5% of each fund for Contingency but it usually
exceeds this.
V/M Katz requested a breakdown of the population that does and
does not pay taxes due to Homestead Exemption and those who pay
$100 towards taxes. Mr. Beach said this is a small percentage.
V/M Katz asked if the budget revenue is mostly ad valorem or how
the City equitably distributes sharing the load of operating the
City.
Mr. Beach said only about 7 million of the 38 million dollar
budget is generated by ad valorem taxes. He said Port St. Lucie
has a Stormwater Utility which generates much of the money and a
variety of Capital Improvement Funds and sources, as well as the
Local Option Gas Tax and Sales Tax make up the balance of the
budget.
Mayor Bender asked what is placed into the Contingency Fund as a
whole and Mr. Beach said this is the Contingency amount. He
further explained the Contingency Account.
C/M Abramowitz asked if Mr. Beach is married and has children and
Mr. Beach said he is married and has two college -age children and
a six year old step -son.
C/M Abramowitz asked if his wife is employed and Mr. Beach said
she is the Director of Purchasing for St. Lucie County.
C/M Abramowitz asked what would happen with her position if he
were appointed as City Manager for Tamarac and Mr. Beach said they
have not addressed this.
C/M Abramowitz asked if Port St. Lucie has a Utility Tax and Mr.
Beach said they do not have this tax at present.
C/M Abramowitz asked what amount would make it palatable for Mr.
Beach to come to work for the City of Tamarac and Mr. Beach said
approximately $70,000.00.
C/M Abramowitz asked what the percentage of the population in St.
Lucie County are senior citizens and Mr. Beach said he does not
have an actual percentage. He said the average age in Port St.
Lucie in 1980 was the same as Tamarac, 58, and the 1990 census
reflected an average age of 32. He said there is a high senior
population but the young families are moving in quickly.
C/M Abramowitz asked the number of school --age children and Mr.
Beach said it is a substantial number.
City Council Special Meeting
2/18/94/KJ
Page 4
C/M Abramowitz asked what provisions there are for recreational
facilities for elders as well as young people.
Mr. Beach said the City of Port St. Lucie operates 15 parks,
ranging from 2 to 3 acre neighborhood parks to 30 acre parks. He
said the organized sports activities take much of the City's
resources. He said the City is in the process of building Little
League ball fields and soccer fields and a variety of physical
facilities for young people to play on.
Mr. Beach said the City of Port St. Lucie had sold a great deal of
property to the State of Florida which bordered the St. Lucie
River and the proceeds were used to build parks.
C/M .Abramowitz asked how much open land there is in Port St. Lucie
and Mr. Beach said out of 80 square miles, approximately 25% is
developed. He said over 100 single-family building permits are
issued per month in addition to commercial permits. He said this
figure is down from three years ago when there were 300 single-
family building permits issued per month. He said there are 80,000
platted lots and their population is growing by approximately
3,500 per year.
C/M Abramowitz asked the size of the Police Force and Mr. Beach
said currently there are 99 sworn personnel and 44 civilians and
the City utilizes the St. Lucie County Fire District. He said the
Fire District gets very high marks for their performance.
C/M Abramowitz asked about the EMS facilities and Mr. Beach said
this is also handled by the Fire District. He said the Fire
District has its own millage rate.
C/M Abramowitz asked about a water district and Mr. Beach said
Port St. Lucie has a Stormwater Utility which is handled by
assessment and the average rate is $59.00 per year.
C/M Schumann asked if the City's Police Force has its own
forensics and Mr. Beach said they utilize the St. Lucie County
Sheriff's office for this.
Mr. Beach said the City has been in an ongoing debate with St.
Lucie County over dual taxation issues. He said the Sheriff's
office does not operate inside the City unless they are called in.
V/M Katz cited an Appellate Court decision concerning dual
taxation.
C/M Abramowitz asked if a Social Services program is offered to
the residents and Mr. Beach said there is a State Housing
Initiative Program and Port St. Lucie is in the process of dealing
with this issue, including a variety of housing issues for low and
moderate income persons. He said the City does not provide any
other social program. He said the County has transportation
services which the City contributes to financially.
Mayor Bender referred to the statement made by V/M Katz indicating
that the interviews were being intentionally scheduled around his
lack of availability. He said this is an untrue statement. He said
the meeting was changed to accommodate V/M Katz' schedule.
Mr. DuPre said the meeting was changed in order to allow all
Council members to be present.
Mayor Bender RECESSED the meeting at 2:40 p.m. and RECONVENED at
2:45 p.m. with ALL PRESENT.
City Council
2/18/94/KJ
Page 5
Special Meeting
C/M Schreiber asked what was found when Mr. Noe arrived in the
City of Hollywood and what was accomplished when he left.
Mr. Noe said Hollywood was a challenge and in the 23 months that
he was there, it was difficult the first day as well as the last
day. He said throughout his tenure in Hollywood, there were a
number of things discovered that had either been ignored or
covered up, such as the Recreation slush funds, including a
$750,000 expenditure over a period of 10 years which was spent
off -budget. He said there was a 4 million dollar pump station
which never worked. He said in his opinion, this was good
planning, but no one had ever made a statement as to what the
facts were.
Mr. Noe said there was a situation involving a golf course owner
who had to close the course due to substantial rain and he had
requested that the City dismiss a fee of approximately $30,000 in
order for him to pay his rent of $1,000 per day.
TAPE 2
Mr. Noe said he had recommended that the City change auditors
based on the fact that the City had the same auditor for 17 years.
He explained the situation regarding the auditor. He said there
were over 100 findings of material and systemic weaknesses.
C/M Schreiber asked the reason for his leaving Hollywood.
Mr. Noe said a month after he had arrived, one of his strongest
supporters had resigned from the Commission and three months after
that, there was an election and a couple more of the Commissioners
left. He said he is very proud of the accomplishments that were
made by all in Hollywood. He said he will take the credit for many
of the ideas of things with substance that were accomplished
during his tenure with Hollywood.
Mr. Noe said he left Hollywood because he fell out of favor with
the Commission as well as the employees. He said he felt that some
of the employees were overpaid and over -benefited. He said it was
a case of speaking out on these issues. He said the City of
Hollywood cannot afford to pay for the Pension plan which is
currently in place.
Mr. Noe said he will have his hands on as many things as he needs
and in as much depth as he needs to. He said his philosophy is to
hire the best people to do the job. He said if governments are
going to be successful today, it takes a collective effort by
everyone, including the citizens, the elected officials and the
employees.
C/M Schreiber asked why he left Prince William County after 11
years to go into private industry, which only lasted one year.
Mr. Noe said he was with Prince William County for 11 years, which
is twice the national average for a City or County Manager. He
said he remained with the County for 11 years because they had
developed a very successful team and he felt that everything he
could have accomplished, was accomplished.
Mr. Noe said he was looking for a new challenge and the owner of
this development group had owned approximately 2,500 acres in
Prince William County and had a very controversial project
proposed. He said he felt that the more controversial an issue is,
the more a City or County Manager has the responsibility to take a
position. He said he supported the proposed project, which could
have amounted to a small city, including high-rise buildings and a
major airport. He said this developer was committed to maintaining
the environment yet producing a major tax revenue source for the
County.
City Council Special Meeting
2/18/94/KJ
Page 6
Mr. Noe said this would have meant pure economic development for
the County including housing and commercial endeavors. He said
this would have created a tremendous number of jobs for the County
and significant tax revenues, which he wanted to be a part of. He
said this occurred during a time when the economy was going down
and the project did not work.
C/M Schreiber said the City of Tamarac is facing an election on
March 8 and there will be a split in the Council. He said it is
intended that whoever is selected is given security in his
position so that they are not terminated for no cause.
Mr. Noe said he has served nine different governing bodies and is
not apprehensive in having to sell himself to a new group of
people.
C/M Abramowitz asked if he would consider working without a
contract and Mr. Noe said he would consider it.
Mr. Noe said at this time, it is somewhat premature. He said he
would like to know that he would be the #1 choice and that there
is a chemistry between the Council and himself and that they can
work effectively together. He said he is accustomed to working on
a hand shake. He said a contract is a security device for the
governing body and the City Manager. He said there is an advantage
to a contract but it is not necessarily written in concrete.
C/M Abramowitz asked why Mr. Noe did not inform the City Council
of Hollywood about the arrangement that the City Attorney had and
Mr. Noe said he did not know.
Mr. Noe said he had testified under oath, with the State's
Attorney, that he had no personal knowledge that Mr. Coslow had a
personal relationship with a City employee. He explained the case
situation in Hollywood.
C/M Abramowitz asked if Mr. Noe is married and Mr. Noe said he is
divorced with no children.
Mr. Kraft stated that it is improper to ask for marital status and
other such personal questions during the interviews.
Mr. Noe said he is not married and does not have children, but
hopes to get married and have children and he lives in Hollywood.
C/M Abramowitz asked what Mr. Noe would do if he were appointed
and a Council member would direct him to do something which really
belonged in the administrative area of the City.
Mr. Noe said it would depend on what was requested. He said within
the administration of the government, the Manager has a number of
prerogatives. He said if an elected official, a citizen or anyone
else asks him to do something, he would do it, if he feels it is
proper.
C/M Abramowitz asked if he would inform the rest of the Council
and Mr. Noe said it would depend on what the request was.
C/M Abramowitz exampled a situation involving being directed to
put a sidewalk into a particular location and Mr. Noe said it
would not be up to him to make such a decision. He said this would
be prepared as an agenda item for consideration by Council. He
said the more sensitive a piece of information is, the quicker he
would provide it to the governing body.
Mr. Noe said he would not be concealing information that is of
interest or sensitive to the governing body. He said he may very
well recommend against the proposed item on the agenda. He said
his job is to help to understand how the system works. He said his
1
City Council Special Meeting
2/18/94/KJ
Page 7
job would be to get the decision to the proper people so that the
decision can be made.
C/M Abramowitz asked what the millage rate was in Hollywood and
Mr. Noe said it was almost 6.
C/M Abramowitz asked if Hollywood has a utility tax and how much
it is and Mr. Noe said yes, but he was not sure of the amount. He
said if 10% is the maximum, then Hollywood maxed out on the
utility tax. He said it included electric and telephone but he was
not sure if it included water and sewer.
Mayor Bender said it has been the tradition of the City of Tamarac
to not have a contract with the City Manager but to use the
Resolution process.
Mr. Dupre said any question asked about marital status is
considered to be discriminatory and is illegal. Further discussion
was held regarding this.
V/M Katz said there are approximately 25% of the residents who do
not pay ad valorem taxes and an additional 35% who pay under $100.
He said annually, William Markham's office has been reducing the
assessed value on the property in the City. He said one of the
articles that was written during Mr. Noe's tenure was the fact
that he did not have the necessary cooperation from Hollywood's
Council.
V/M Katz said there are some very important aspects of a
relationship between a City Manager and the Council. He said there
has to be an on -going dialogue and an even distribution of
information. He said problems arise when one person states that
someone else is getting better information than he. He asked how
Mr. Noe would dispute what was in print.
Mr. Noe said he believes in the process of government. He said the
process he used in Prince William County and in Hollywood
concerned major issues. He said they went through goal -setting
sessions and, when the new Commission took over, they went through
a strategic planning process setting goals. He said the goals were
then tied to the budget. He said he has never concealed a piece of
information from any elected official.
V/M Katz asked how Mr. Noe's agenda meetings were held in the past
and Mr. Noe said they were conducted between the Staff and
himself. He said any Staff member has the prerogative to generate
whatever needs the governing body's action. He said his system is
a Resolution which states all of the pertinent facts and
generating backup information for the governing body to
understand, in depth, what the issues and alternatives are and
what the recommendation is.
V/M Katz asked if he prepares a budget statement for the Council
and public and Mr. Noe said the single most important document is
the budget letter prepared by the City Manager.
Mr. Noe said the Contingency Fund should be at least 5% of the
General Fund Budget, which is the national standard. He said it is
necessary to have some money for things that are not anticipated.
He said that is not the General Fund. He said the Fund balance is
somewhat sacred and it is only touched when there is an emergency.
He said the Contingency is what is utilized.
C/M Schumann asked why Hollywood did not implement the
restructuring which could have reduced the spending by 2.5 million
dollars.
Mr. Noe said there were some very tough things in that
restructuring plan which included taking three lifeguards off the
beach, forcing the police department to reorganize and other such
City Council Special Meeting
2/18/94/KJ
Page 8
issues. He said it is his job to bring tough issues to the
governing body, to make a recommendation and to recognize that
they will not be able to support everything that he recommends.
Mr. Noe said every government and every corporation that survives
in the world is restructured. He said the governing body will be
remembered by what it has accomplished, not by the money it saves.
Mr. Noe said he had recommended taking some of the crossing guards
off the street and so did the police department. He said he was
attempting to force examination and scrutiny of situations that
had not been scrutinized for a long time. He said he feels it
would have been in the City's interest if these recommendations
were granted.
Mayor Bender referred to the statement Mr. Noe made about
accomplishments and saving money and stated that if money is saved
that can be used to accomplish some of the projects recommended.
Mr. Noe said if he was hired as City Manager, he could run the
City on the money that is collected. He said if Council decided to
run the City on 3 mils, the residents would not remember the
Council because they wanted to run the City on 3 mils, because the
City cannot be run on 3 mils and provide the level of service that
the residents have become accustomed to. He said in order to
satisfy the residents, the services are a must.
C/M Abramowitz asked if Mr. Noe is currently employed and Mr. Noe
said, no.
C/M Abramowitz asked what is expected by Mr. Noe if he were
offered the job.
Mr. Noe said he has 19 years managerial experience and this should
be taken into consideration. He said he has given very little
thought to what a compensation package should be. He said he has
focused on what he needed to convey to Council in terms of
philosophies and other such statements. He said he would expect to
be compensated fairly and competitively.
V/M Katz asked if Mr. Noe has any questions he would like to ask
Council.
Mr. Noe said he would .like to hear from all of Council as to what
role they expect the City Manager to play and whether they want a
strong or weak Manager.
C/M Schumann said he would be hired to be an administrator.
Mr. Noe said if he is hired, he would exercise the prerogative
that he has in the Charter and the Code and would resist
encroachment and will do so as politely as he knows how.
V/M Katz asked the amount of expenditures permitted for the City
Manager to disburse prior to going to Council for approval during
his tenures in Prince William County and in Hollywood.
Mr. Noe said in some cases it was $10,000 and in others, as much
as $50,000 in settlement situations. He said this was taken to the
Commission prior to being consummated.
Mr. Noe said a newspaper article stated that the City Commission
"discovered" that the City Attorney and City Manager had paid
$50,000, which is not true. He said the City Attorney and
Assistant City Attorney went to the Commission regarding this
issue. He said he did not go along to brief each Commission
member. He said each Commissioner was briefed on the $50,000
settlement prior to its being consummated.
TAPE 3
1
City Council Special Meeting
2/18/94/KJ
Page 9
V/M Katz said the City Manager should not be allowed to make a
settlement in that amount. He said negotiating is one thing but
approving a settlement is another. He said Tamarac's Charter
permits the City Manager the latitude of spending $10,000 without
bringing it before Council. He said Council should not be
inundated with paperwork on everything that occurs throughout the
City administratively but the Council should be informed.
V/M Katz said he does not want a City Manager that is going to be
intimidated but would like a City Manager who is sensitive to the
elected body. He said the City Attorney and City Manager are
directly responsive to the Mayor and Council. He said there has to
be a shared concern for the well-being of the City. He said he
would not appreciate a City Manager who would embarrass any
Council member, nor should an elected official embarrass the City
Manager.
Mayor Bender said he would like to see a City Manager who will
take care of operations and allow the elected officials to do the
legislative work. He said he is looking for a strong City Manager
with a good program, providing the necessary directives to handle
all of the operations.
Mayor Bender said there have been problems with a lack of
communication, verbally and physically, to move information
throughout the City. He said the City needs to give a maximum
amount of service to all individuals who want to do business in
the City.
C/M Schreiber said he has been looking for a City Manager who is
independent, that resists special pressure and special interest
and serves the needs of the Council equitably. He said the manager
should do the job in the best interest of the City and come to
Council with all information without withholding data. He said the
City needs a professional who knows how to prepare a budget, to
carry out programs and do the job.
Mr. Noe asked if Council expects to be involved with personnel
decisions or do they expect to dictate to the City Manager what
goes into the proposed budget. He said the Charter provides that
the Department Heads shall be appointed by the City Manager with
the concurrence of the Council.
C/M Abramowitz said that needs to be changed.
Mr. Noe asked if Council is going to allow the City Manager to
select the people that he feels are appropriate to run the City or
is Council going to question every person being brought in.
C/M Schreiber said that is the authority of the City Manager,
Mr. Noe asked if Council is going to support the City Manager in
his decisions and Mayor Bender said this has been the practice.
C/M Abramowitz said there has been a great deal of interference
with the workings of the City Manager and the Department Heads,
which is one of the reasons that new applicants are being
interviewed. He said if Mr. Noe is not an independent person, then
he does not belong in the position. He said if Council does not
support the City Manager, then the City should not have a City
Manager form of government.
Mr. Noe asked what the role of the City Attorney is and whether
the City Attorney is the chief legal advisor to the Council or
whether the City Attorney is approached to second guess the City
Manager.
C/M Abramowitz said the City Attorney does not work under the City
Manager and all agreed.
City Council Special Meeting
2/18/94/KJ
Page 10
V/M Katz said the Risk Manager needs to work closely with the City
Attorney as well as the City Manager. He said the Personnel
Director has to have some input from the City Manager as well as
the City Attorney.
Mr. Noe said he wants the City Attorney to be totally independent
and give the Council and the City Manager the best legal advice
that he or she can render. He said the City Attorney is the City
Attorney for legal measures. He said he intends to develop a good
relationship with the City Attorney and to use him as much as
possible in the substance of the government outside the legal
area. He said if the City Attorney is the sixth Commissioner, then
he would like to defer to one of the other two candidates.
Mayor Bender said the City Attorney's position is prescribed in
the Charter.
Mr. Noe said he feels that if he is the City Manager, then his job
is to create the best City organization that can possibly be
bought with the money that is provided through the tax rate. He
said he is committed to excellence.
Mr. Noe expressed his appreciation for being included in the
finalists in the selection process. He said there is an
outstanding suit pending in Hollywood, which involves an employee
that he dismissed who sued him on a number of charges. He said
every charge has been dismissed in Federal Court with the
exception of one, regarding whether this employee received a name
clearing hearing.
Mr. Noe said this is a very narrow issue in the law. He said this
employee was offered three name clearing hearings and refused all
three. He said he will provide more information to Council if they
require it. He recommended that the City Attorney contact Joe
Serrota, who is an outside attorney on this issue, if more
information is needed.
V/M Katz asked for clarification on the statement regarding
looking for the best employees available and asked if he would
first be looking at the current City employees.
Mr. Noe said he believes in promoting from within but sometimes it
is necessary for fresh blood. He said his job is to analyze all
aspects.
C/M Abramowitz said many times when a new person comes in they
bring their own staff. He recommended that the new City Manager
look closely at what is currently available within the City prior
to looking outside. He said this is a very important issue to him.
Mayor Bender RECESSED the meeting at 3:45 p.m. and RECONVENED at
4:00 p.m. with ALL PRESENT.
C/M Schreiber said Ms. Perrotta was very impressive on planning,
which is her strongest point. He said Council received a call from
a person who indicated that there was a group of 40 people who
strongly supported her.
C/M Abramowitz said having an excellent background in planning is
one of the paramount things that generally, a City Manager does
not have. He said there are other facets which are very important,
such as the ability for someone to be able to weld Department
Heads and Staff into a well cohesive working machine. He said he
has had the privilege of working under these conditions as well as
where the employees are not happy.
City Council Special Meeting
2/18/94/KJ
Page 11
C/M Abramowitz said one of the major things that any new City
Manager in this City would have to do is to have the courage,
intelligence and intestinal fortitude to stand their ground with
the full knowledge that they do work at the pleasure of the
Council.
C/M Abramowitz said he has been told that Ms. Perrotta is a tough
gal. He said there is a good possibility that there will be 2 or 3
new Council members. He asked if this disturbs her.
Ms. Perrotta said it seems that she is being asked three inter-
related questions: 1) How does her planning training relate to her
managerial skills; 2) What the perception is of whatever is meant
by being a tough manager; and 3) What are her instincts about what
could change when the Council changes.
C/M Abramowitz said tough in a very positive form, knowing the
position that she would be in and the responsibilities and what
the Charter says and the job demands.
Ms. Perrotta said she based all of this on her training in
planning, in research and in management. She said she goes about
her business by being very well informed. She said she passes this
information on to the people who she works for. She said she
worked fairly extensively directly for Council for special
projects, such as for an annexation. She said she has confidence
in the information which she passes on.
Ms. Perrotta said she will take responsibility for any error that
may occur. She said it is her responsibility to analyze the
information that she receives and provide Council with some
options. She said her products are very good, if not excellent.
She said people take her documents as models, which have related
much to capital improvement programming involving many diverse
communities and all the departments of the cities with which she
has worked, with her coordinating the entire effort.
Ms. Perrotta referred to a capital improvement program she was
involved in. She said this meant that she had to submit all
compliance reports and studies to the Federal and State
governments, getting the projects off the ground, dealing with the
contractors, the communities and the various departments in the
City and closing these contracts and grants in conjunction with
the City's budgetary process.
Ms. Perrotta gave her history with the cities of Pompano Beach and
Jacksonville. She said her responsibilities were to oversee long
range planning, special projects and the capital improvement plans
for the cities.
Ms. Perrotta said she has had in-depth experience in planning. She
said she has developed documents and presentation packages to be
made to the communities. She said when appearing before the
community, she feels responsible for everything that she says and
is very careful about this. She said her credibility has been
maintained.
V/M Katz said the question was directed to the other areas of
expertise which Ms. Perrotta may have and what makes her believe
that she can be the City Manager. He said he is aware of who she
is and what she has done. He asked if the other areas of expertise
that are required of a City Manager qualify her to be a City
Manager.
Ms. Perrotta said she has been working for people who have allowed
her opportunities to present her work directly to Council. She
said her work was presented to her bosses and reviewed. She said
she provides training for team -building and has worked with
Department Heads. She said there have been many fingers which have
touched the product when it is presented to Council.
City Council Special Meeting
2/18/94/KJ
Page 12
V/M Katz asked if her style allows for open discussion with
Department Heads and Council. He asked if her experience with
budget preparation was strictly for planning or was it preparation
of what the City would need in total.
Ms. Perrotta said she prepared the budget for North Miami Beach in
total. She said she completely revised the City's budget process
so that it would be more program -driven instead of being
incremental. She referred to the Capital Improvement programs and
other programs which she handled.
V/M Katz said the City of Tamarac does not have a utility tax and
there are a number of things that Pompano Beach has that Tamarac
does not have. He said Tamarac has limited resources. He said the
City has 25% of the residents who pay no taxes and an additional
35% who pay under $100. He said the assessed valuation of the City
is depreciating, even with new construction, because of the older
parts of the City.
V/M Katz asked what can be done to revitalize the revenue
procurement to compensate. He said the City cannot always increase
the ad valorem to supplement the losses.
Ms. Perrotta said there is no simple answer to this but there are
funding sources to be looked at in order to preserve the quality
of the community. She said as the community ages, there will be a
greater need for social services and other such services. She said
these types of services are expensive due to being highly trained
personnel intensive programs.
V/M Katz asked where the funding would come from for these
services and Ms. Perrotta said the fees currently being charged
would need to be reviewed to ensure that the costs are being
covered.
Ms. Perrotta said if the costs are not being covered, the fee
schedules may need to be adjusted. She said the ability for
franchise fees and taxes would need to be reviewed. She said there
are various charges for which the City may not be aware.
Ms. Perrotta said these charges would need to be researched and
justified. She said the City needs to find the right combination
for its tax base to make sure that there is enough income to cover
expenses as well as being able to project the expenses for the
next five years. She said it is very important to have a good
capital improvement program.
V/M Katz asked what Ms. Perrotta would include in her budget
message to the Council as the Contingency to the General Fund. He
asked what type of formula she would be looking for.
Ms. Perrotta said it is generally said, "the more, the better".
She said she would shoot for 20% of the overall budget but the
City would be lucky to get 10%.
C/M Schreiber asked what her mode of operation would be if she
were selected as City Manager. He asked if she would be able to
resist the pressures from Council and is an independent person.
Ms. Perrotta said she has never been dismissed or asked to leave
any other position she has held. She said she would serve at the
Council's pleasure and if she were asked to leave, she would leave
gracefully.
Ms. Perrotta said her way of approaching finding out about a new
City is by studying the budget, conversing with the employees, and
her priority would be the welfare of the community and the
budget's integrity. She said she would then begin to build
relationships and look for gaps in the organization. She said she
[J
F_ I
City Council Special Meeting
2/18/94/KJ
Page 13
would meet with the advisory boards for input and would take all
of this information back to Council for direction.
Ms. Perrotta said all of the information she gathers would be fed
back to the Department Heads and Council. She said there may be a
need to reorganize or possibly revise some of the job descriptions
or a reallocation of the City's resources and other such changes.
C/M Schreiber said the City has an area known as Land Section 7,
which is undeveloped property seeking development. He asked what
Ms. Perrotta recommends to motivate and activate development of
this property and to bring in the proper tax ratables to help the
City.
Mayor Bender said this is land that the City does not own.
TAPE 4
Ms. Perrotta said she has been involved in the economic
development in some of the worst areas throughout Florida. She
said she was involved with the waterfront property along the St.
Johns River in Jacksonville and turned it into something that
would assist the tax base for the City.
C/M Schreiber asked if she hired outside professionals or utilized
the in-house personnel.
Ms. Perrotta said much of the work was done in --house but they did
have some professional assistance. She explained the economical
program she utilized for the success of this project.
C/M Schreiber asked what her feeling is regarding industrial
development as opposed to residential development. He asked if one
has an advantage over the other.
Ms. Perrotta said it depends on where the development is located.
She said there are not too many residential developments that
appear attractive near an interstate highway and there are sites
that are very attractive depending on the transportation corridor
available.
Ms. Perrotta said industrial and commercial development helps the
City to expand its tax base and they do not demand the same type
of services that the residential area would.
C/M Schumann asked what Ms. Perrotta meant by her "day being
structured".
Ms. Perrotta said she utilizes "to do" lists, journals and other
such mechanisms to keep on track.
Mayor Bender asked if Ms. Perrotta would like to ask any questions
of Council.
Ms. Perrotta said there is the issue of the upcoming election and
the hiring of a new City Manager. She asked how the Council feels
about this.
Mayor Bender said he does not feel that one thing has to do with
the other. He said the consensus from Council at previous meetings
was that the City would proceed in hiring a new City Manager as
soon as possible.
Ms. Perrotta asked if the City is prepared for the demographic
changes that it will be undergoing in the next 5 to 10 years.
C/M Abramowitz said he does not feel the City is prepared for such
a change.
Mayor Bender said the City currently is predominately retired
people and in the future, there will be a mix. He said there is a
need for a revitalization program and a need for innovative ideas
City Council Special Meeting
2/18/94/KJ
Page 14
to activate empty shopping centers. He said the City needs to
provide the services necessary.
V/M Katz said there are areas in the City which have condominiums
that are going on the market at inordinately low prices, which
causes the potential for blighted areas. He said the most drastic
change that will occur in the City will not be the new or younger
people coming into the City but the fact that the City is creating
blighted areas by not being proactive rather than reactive.
V/M Katz said if the City does not do something about these areas,
the City will be creating ghettos where no revenues are being
produced. He asked if she, as a City Manager, is prepared to come
before Council and declare a section in the City as blighted.
Ms. Perrotta explained Section 3, Chapter 163 of the State
Statutes regarding blighted areas. She said she has used this
Section many times in other areas, which is an excellent planning
guide. She said this Section provides no new authority that the
Council does not already have. Further discussion was held
regarding this Section of the Statutes.
Mayor Bender said the City needs to plan for the future.
Ms. Perrotta expressed her appreciation to Council for the
interview.
Mayor Bender requested recommendations from Council regarding the
three finalists.
C/M Schumann said each of the candidates are well -qualified. He
said after this final discussion with the three, the Council
members may be thinking that one candidate is more heavy weighted
than the others. He said all of the candidates answered the
questions in a clear and concise manner.
C/M Abramowitz said he has narrowed his selection down to two of
the three. He said he is not able to vote at this meeting and if
it comes to a vote, he will leave. He said he would like to give
more thought to the candidates.
V/M Katz said a decision of this caliber deserves time to
evaluate. He said there is a meeting scheduled for Tuesday at 3:00
p.m. and each of the candidates should be made aware that there
will be background checks done. He recommended these background
checks be started in the morning.
C/M Schreiber said he has interviewed these people twice and the
City is fortunate that the candidates were excellent. He said he
feels that one is better than the others based on presentation and
experience. He said he would vote for Mr. Noe.
C/M Schreiber MOVED to APPROVE the selection of Mr. Noe as the new
City Manager.
C/M Schreiber said he sees no need to delay the process any
longer.
C/M Abramowitz asked if there has been a background check and Mr.
DuPre said no, but the job offer could be extended contingent upon
the successful passing of a background check or the Council can
delay the appointment until Tuesday.
C/M Abramowitz left the meeting at 4:50 p.m.
SECONDED by C/M Schumann.
V/M Katz said he is not prepared to vote at this time and
requested the opportunity to evaluate until Tuesday.
City Council Special Meeting
2/18/94/KJ
Page 15
D
L7
C/M Schumann WITHDREW his Second, based on action being taken on
Tuesday.
Mayor Bender asked if this would hinder the preparation of a
Resolution with the City Attorney.
Mr. Dupre said all of these candidates are working in the public
sector and their backgrounds are public record. He said they have
all worked in positions where background checks have been done on
them. He said he can do a DMV, a criminal background check, and a
credit report in less than one day. He said he can visit the
cities involved to review their personnel records.
V/M Katz said this would not delay negotiations.
Discussion was held regarding the timing of the negotiations and
background checks.
Mayor Bender recommended this be held until Tuesday, provided it
can be added to the agenda for Wednesday's regular meeting.
Ms. McDermott said there would not be a problem with adding it to
Wednesday's agenda.
V/M Katz MOVED to APPROVE making the appointment on Tuesday,
February 22, 1994, at 3:00 p.m. and vote on a Resolution at
Wednesday's regular meeting, SECONDED by C/M Schumann.
VOTE: ALL VOTED AYE
With no further business, Mayor Bender ADJOURNED this meeting at
4:55 p.m.
NORMAN ABRAMOWITZ
MAYOR
CAROL A. EVANS, CMC
CITY CLERK
CITY OF ` A ARAC
APP VED AT MEETING OF
City Clerk