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Home My WebLink About1991-05-28 - City Commission Special Meeting Minutes@x- ۥh| k fz 0 z 0 0 z0 z0 z0 z0 z �- z �zA �{� {� {� {� {� {� {� {� {� {� {� {� {� {� {� {4 | | | C ity Council Special Meeting�r z > z >z >z >z >zV z 5/28/91-elo Page 1 CITY OF TAMARAC CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING TUESDAY, MAY 28, 1991 CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Abramowitz called this meeting to order on Tuesday, May 28, 1991 at 2:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. MEDITATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Abramowitz called for the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a Moment of Silent Meditation. PRESENT: Mayor Norman Abramowitz Vice Mayor Dr. H. Larry Bender Councilman Irving Katz Councilman Henry Schumann Councilwoman Diane Glasser ALSO PRESENT: John P. Kelly, City Manager Carol A. Evans, City Clerk Karen Jackson, Secretary ************************************************************* 1. a. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE PUBLIC SERVICES DEPARTMENT PROPOSAL. b. MOTION TO ADOPT TEMP. ORD. #1549 CREATING POSITION OF DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SERVICES DEPARTMENT. SYNOPSIS OF ACTION: APPROVED l.a. as amended to include semi-annual and annual review. APPROVED l.b. on first reading. Second reading and Public Hearing to be held on Wednesday, June 12, 1991 at 7:30 p.m. City Manager John Kelly said this is a reorganization proposal that involves the Utilities Department and the Public Works Department, Engineering and Recreation. He said at the present time, Utilities and Engineering are separate under the Director of Utilities and Engineering. He said the Public Works Department embraces Public Works and Recreation. He said it is his proposal through an Ordinance to combine a Public Services Department with a Public Service Administrator/Director overseeing the respective division discussed. City Manager Kelly said this proposal is a result of the resignation of Mr. Foy, who resigned effective the first of April. He said in reviewing the bureaucracy and departments that the City has and the opportunity to move into a new Public Service Complex on Nob Hill Road, this was an opportune time to move in this direction. He said it allows the City to maximize the existing manpower that the City has as well as the resources. City Manager Kelly said the City has a capable person in house, Michael Couzzo, who is presently the Director of Public Works and the Assistant City Manager. He said Mr. Couzzo would assume the administrative responsibilities of the Public Services Department. He said the positions of Public Works Director and Utility Director would be eliminated. He said in the Public Works Department, the Public Works Operation Manager will continue to be Alan Levine. He said the Recreation Operations Manager is proposed to be Ed Doyle and in the Utilities Department, Kline Jones has already been approved as the City Engineer. He said Pete Procopio will be appointed as Operations Manager for the Utility Function. He said Mr. Procopio has a long tenure and is very knowledgeable about the utilities operation. He said City Council Special Meeting 5/28/91-elo Page 2 he has agreed to delay his retirement to allow this proposal an opportunity to work. City Manager Kelly said there is a lesser cost involved with this proposal. He said the key is that it provides for more administrative efficiencies and by having Mr. Couzzo oversee the fleet operation and having everything combined, he can see that the fleet maintenance is done more efficiently and that the vehicles are distributed throughout the City in a more efficient manner. He said the overall administrative skills that Mr. Couzzo has will serve the City well. City Manager Kelly said this proposal first surfaced in 1984 by the Coty Management Study. He said it was submitted to the City Council in 1985. He said it recommended essentially the same thing, the personnel has changed and Staff is recommending this for consideration and approval. Councilwoman Glasser MOVED consideration and possible APPROVAL of the Public Services Department proposal, SECONDED by Councilman Schumann. City Manager Kelly said the concept is what is being discussed. He said the Ordinance will come later. V/M Bender said this is indicated to be a new proposal and what he feels should be done is to have a six month and possibly a one year review. He said it needs two review periods to ascertain the efficiency and validity of this new concept. C/M Katz said in the attachment is a break down of the proposed personnel costs. He said he questions the budget review and adoption. He said the City has contract agreements with the Union and Confidential employees will probably come with the same increase in salaries. He questioned whether the City is going to approve increases in salary to certain people if and when this proposal is approved, based on the May 23 directive from Mary Blasi. He said the City is again going to see an increase in salaries with the proposed new budget to some of these people who would have gotten a salary increase based on contract and confidential employees. City Manager Kelly said no one on here is confidential. C/M Katz said if and when this is approved, the City is not going to see a request for an increase in these salaries until the next review for increases of salaries for other people in other departments. City Manager Kelly said the City Council would have to act separately. Mayor Abramowitz said at the Special Meeting on May 23, 1991 when the conditions of the vehicles was discussed, it was discovered that some of the vehicles that are 3 and 4 years old had 40,000 miles on them, were inoperable and rusted out. Mayor Abramowitz said in the 4 years he has been Mayor of the City, one of the shining lights was Bob Foy. He said Mr. Foy never said something to the Council that was not factual. He said Mr. Foy was a very good Engineer and utility man. He said as far as managerial capacity is concerned, he was a tough customer. He said he believes that the City is fortunate enough to have 2 people in Utilities that can run the show, Kline Jones and Pete Procopio. Mayor Abramowitz said he would not be in favor of saving money if it meant deterioration of Public Works and/or Utilities. He said the bulk of the equipment and vehicles lies in two departments, Public Works and Utilities. He said when Mr. Couzzo was in charge of Public Works, he had no right other than going to the City Manager to discuss the City Council Special Meeting 5/28/91-elo Page 3 conditions of equipment in the Utility Department. He said based on this if the quality remains in the Utility Department and the quality remains in Public Works, one of the main functions is the ability of a person to have the overall responsibility of all the equipment in the City, a much better job could be done and the City would save a great deal of money. C/M Katz said his reservation is that during the previous administration, consisting of the City Manager, 2 Assistant City Managers, Director of Public Works, Director of Engineering and Utilities, what type of discussion does one department have with another, without including Staff meetings. C/M Katz said Bob Foy should have had constant communications with Public Works. He said he does not know if it was a fault with a director of with the City Manager. He said he would hope that if this were agreed upon, one of the prerequisites would have to be public meetings with the input of Kline Jones, Mike Couzzo, etc., so that everyone is satisfied and upon the review an intelligent determination can be made as to whether to continue or abandon the proposal. Mayor Abramowitz said the concept of the program is what Council has in front of it. He said an aye indicates approval of this concept, including the semi-annual and annual review. City Manager Kelly said the concept includes adopting this proposal with the reorganization to include the semi-annual and annual review. C/W Glasser said during the budget process, people in City Hall are reviewed or get some kind of increase. She asked if this will take the place of any increase that might have been considered in the budgetary process. She said if they get the increase at this point, if and when it is approved, will they be considered again during the budgetary process. City Manager Kelly said at this point he intends this to be it but during the budget process he is not precluding further consideration. C/W Glasser questioned whether it is "intend" or "will". City Manager Kelly said he cannot say. C/M Katz said that is not the answer City Manager Kelly gave him. He said his question was whether these people would be reviewed again for a salary increase with the coming budget or after the budget was approved and City Manager Kelly said under no conditions. City Manager Kelly said he said it would be up to the City Council. Mayor Abramowitz said the City Manager can suggest but if the City Council says no, the answer is no. He said these people do not fall in the category of confidential or union employees. He said the City Manager does not have the right to make salary adjustments before coming to the City Council. C/W Glasser said she would like to know if there will be a suggestion of a salary increase to the City Council. She said she is trying to pin this down as being the increase for this budgetary process. Mayor Abramowitz asked if this precludes Council from reviewing them again in the sixth month period. City Manager Kelly said it is not his intention to make a recommendation beyond this. V/M Bender said Mr. Couzzo is also the Assistant City Manager City Council Special Meeting 5/28/9l-elo Page 4 and he asked if this will continue. City Manager Kelly said to provide for a chain of command, if he is out of the City and Ms. McDermott is ill, someone has to be there for Council to go to. Mayor Abramowitz said the concept is to include a six month and a one year review. VOTE: ALL VOTED AYE City Manager Kelly read Temp. Ord. #1549. C/W Glasser MOVED to APPROVE Temp. Ord. #1549 , SECONDED by C/M Schumann. VOTE: ALL VOTED AYE 2. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION regarding the Sale of the Old City Hall. SYNOPSIS OF ACTION: Discussion was held. Mayor Abramowitz said when the City Council met last, they heard from three perspective buyers. He said a resident suggested that it might be better not to sell the old City Hall until an appropriate buyer was found. Mayor Abramowitz said he took a projected figure, added a moderate interest fee and ran a five year projection. He said at the end of five years, there is a total sum on 7% interest and below that a total sum on 8% interest, tax generated for the next five years and also the maintenance of the building. Mayor Abramowitz said he took a net of $450,000 and projected it over a five year period. He said the 7% interest rate at the end of five years generated $631,147.00 plus the amount of taxes that would return to Tamarac and the cost of maintenance. He said the 8% interest generated $661,196.00 plus taxes generated to the City for a five year period and the cost of maintenance. He said as a business person he does not agree with letting this sit and wait for a good offer. C/W Glasser said she does not anticipate that this money would be in an interest bearing account for the next five years. She said the basis on which the City is selling has not included the building so there is no maintenance. She said the money that has been offered has been for the land. Mayor Abramowitz said the building is air conditioned and the City pays for the air conditioning. He said it is on because in a sense of mold it could not exist. C/W Glasser said there is not much of a building left there to begin with. She said no one is offering any money in considering the building, only the land. She said she does not see why the City has to effectively spend any money to maintain the building. Mayor Abramowitz said the grass has to be cut and the air conditioning has to be on because of mildew. He said the building is a detriment to the sale of the property. City Manager Kelly said he would estimate the cost of maintenance and upkeep is probably less than $5,000.00. He said this covers utilities and air conditioning. V/M Bender asked how much building insurance is. City Manager Kelly said it is comprehensive with all the City buildings. He said the City Council needs to come up with the City Council Special Meeting 5/28/9l-elo Page 5 criteria to proceed with a sale. Mayor Abramowitz said the difference is that 3 people came with an offer and he would not have accepted any of them; however, Council has the responsibility to come forward with a counter offer. C/W Glasser said there has not been any real effort to go out and find people to buy this property. She said when one of the newspapers had an article on City Hall, that is when the activity came. Mayor Abramowitz said this building has been shown to 20 to 25 people over a period of time. He said the Miami Herald wrote an article that renewed interest. City Manager Kelly said C/W Glasser is correct. He said in the last three or four months prior to her being on the City Council, there was not an active marketing effort to sell that project because of the market being the way it is. He said when the article came out the City got a lot of interested parties. He said prior to that the City had made several serious efforts in advertising and gotten responses, however, each time something went wrong. Mayor Abramowitz said the City was very close to giving it to an auctioneer until he told the City that it would have to give him $20,000 up front. He said the point is that an effort needs to be made now. V/M Bender said the original evaluation was $750,000 in 1986. He said the ground was evaluated at $531,000, now it was assessed at $383,000. Mayor Abramowitz said there is a big difference between assessed and appraised. V/M Bender said these are the figures the City has to use to come up with a recommendation. He said he feels that the City should get close to $500,000. C/W Glasser said $531,000. C/M Katz said he agrees with C/W Glasser. He said there was not enough effort put forth in the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal. C/M Schumann said he understands this money will not be invested but used to pick up some small capitol items that the City needs. City Manager Kelly said he would love to sell the building and he hates the liability. He said the City has a lot of capitol needs that could be addressed by but the items on the table could never be recommended for approval by him. City Manager Kelly said the first proposal comes the closest in terms of the $531,000; however, $70,000 in the first year and the problems that go with it are not worth what the City would get from it. He said the church proposal for $250,000 is not a serious one and the other two offers, if they are willing to move into a reasonable range as the City Council is suggesting today, are more endorsable. City Manager Kelly said other auctioneers have been willing to accept 10% to 11%, where they would do the marketing, advertising and the promotion, then they get a percentage of what they sell it for. He said the City reserves the right to accept a cut off and the City should consider auctioneers in the near future. Mayor Abramowitz said the only reason he is against an auctioneer is that one of the prime considerations of those sitting here now is that whoever the City sold it to be City Council Special Meeting 5/28/9l-elo Page 6 compatible with what is already in the City of Tamarac. He said he would like the City Council to make conditions to the buyer that are beneficial to the City. He said the City so far has said no alcohol and questioned the closing time. He said stipulations and conditions cannot be placed with an auction. He said if it meets the price, the building is sold. Mayor Abramowitz said he wants to have each Council person individually give an Expression of Interest. C/M Schumann $500,000 C/M Katz $531,000 C/W Glasser $531,000 V/M Bender $500,000 Mayor Abramowitz $500,000 net in hand 3. MOTION TO ADOPT Temp. Reso. # 6069 revising the rates for the residential garbage collection and disposal fee. SYNOPSIS OF ACTION: APPROVED Resolution R-91-103 PASSED City Manager Kelly read the Temp. Reso. #6069. Tape 2 Mayor Abramowitz said the City Council has a list of all the Cities in Broward County and the rates they charge. He said there is nothing that the City can do about this. V/M Bender said he has a document from Waste Management making reference to Section 13.04 and Section 25 of their contract. He said this is a previous contract that the City is addressing. He asked how long it lasts. City Manager Kelly said the City has two more years including this year and then the City negotiates. V/M Bender said this formula for this raise was predetermined in that contract. City Manager Kelly said there is concern as to whether the City had to raise their rates at this time. He said in Section 25 of the contract there is a provision that allows them that once the resource recovery program came on line that rates and tipping fees would go up accordingly. He said the formula for Tamarac is that for every dollar increase in the tipping fee the rates for single family units would go up $ .19. He said in this case it is $ .19 times $22.50 which is a $4.28 increase. He said condos are $ .10 on $22.50. City Manager Kelly said they are now processing resource recovery and there is nothing the City can do about it. Mayor Abramowitz said the Broward League of Cities is looking to see if they can enter a class action suit against Waste Management. V/M Bender said he does not feel comfortable saying there is nothing the City can do about it. He said on June 6, 1991, the Broward League of Cities will be taking them up on their agenda, where the City of Tamarac has asked them to review and possibly endorse action to be taken by the Federal Government to see if this is any possible violation of the Sherman Anti Trust Laws or restraint of trade. He said the City needs to exhaust all avenues. C/M Schumann said recently the Attorney General went against eight or nine ivy league universities doing the same thing, restraint in trade and price fixing. Mayor Abramowitz said he is on the Board of Directors of the City Council Special Meeting 5/28/91-elo Page 7 Broward League of Cities and it is the priority item. He said the difference is that the City has received criticism on the recycling program. He said the City has had a constant battle with Waste Management but they have the only dump in Broward County. Mayor Abramowitz said Broward County spent $75 million to build incinerators about three or four years ago, which represented a threat to the dump. He said about six months ago Waste Management bought controlling interest in Wheelabrator, who runs the incinerators. He said when recycling of paper began, Waste Management bought Durban Paper, which is the biggest paper processor in the State of Florida . Mayor Abramowitz said every City is faced with the same problem. He said Tamarac's trash contract is one of the lowest in Broward County. C/M Katz asked what is the status of the five cities. City Manager Kelly said the two Cities that have not signed the agreement are ready and they are trying to get Waste Management to defer from implementing the $ .80 a month recycling fee as opposed to S .76. He said Waste Management is not excited about making that accommodation so the City may be paying the S .80 because the other Cities have held back. He said they ask that pilot condos are established within each of the Cities to begin in October. C/M Katz said he is liaison to sanitation. He said the City has been sitting on this agreement for some time. He said he would like to start preparing for what is going to happen with the next agreement with recycling. He said the City may be able to do it's own recycling and the City needs to. C/M Katz said the City needs to address a pilot program as other Cities have. Mayor Abramowitz said the City has no control. C/M Schumann MOVED to ADOPT Temp. Reso. # 6069 revising the rates for the residential garbage collection and disposal fee, SECONDED by C/M Katz. VOTE: ALL VOTED AYE C/W Glasser said she wants to bring back public parking. She said at the time the City passed new charges the City Council was remiss in understanding that previously they were given a 20% discount if they paid on a yearly basis. She said she feels it should be reconsidered because it is more than a 50% increase. City Manager Kelly said it is not the percentage that was talked about. He said the City went from $20 to $30. He said when it was at $20 and paid up front, they got 2 months free. He said the City still wants to allow them the 2 months free if they pay the $30 up front. He said the people who have paid will be rebated. He said the Ordinance will come back to the City Council at the next meeting. C/W Glasser said between now and the June 12 meeting, the City can hold the money in reservation until the Ordinance passes rather than give rebates. City Manager Kelly said yes. Mayor Abramowitz said every year the Area Agency on Aging appears before the City and the City of Tamarac does contribute $10,000. He said the money is far below the services provided for the City. He said Jerry Carlin has asked to have a meeting scheduled with each Council member to discuss the Area Agency on Aging. He suggested that at a City Council Special Meeting 5/28/91-elo Page 8 special meeting Mr. Carlin be allowed to address the entire Council. C/W Glasser said her preference would be a workshop meeting and all Council members agreed. V/M Bender said he recommends that the rates from Waste Management be placed in the Tam-A-Gram. City Manager Kelly said it was requested to be on Channel 19. Mayor Abramowitz said it will be printed on the front of the next water bill. V/M Bender said a flyer should be made to explain the rate increase. Morris Glicksman, resident, said the Area Agency on Aging is doing an excellent job. He said the City of Tamarac uses most of their services because of the age of the City's population. He said since 1975, the City of Tamarac has never met the recommended quota. He said a few thousand dollars more should be given because it is the right thing to do. Mr. Glicksman said Waste Management is an international giant. He said if they have a problem with a company they buy it. He said the City must go through the anti-trust laws and the restraint trade laws. Mr. Glicksman said he feels that it is not the right time to sell the old City Hall. He said the old City Hall is opposite Sections 11, 12, 13 and they represent approximately 750 homes that are adult communities. He said $500,000 is not adequate and he requested the lifestyles of these senior citizens not be changed. Ben Neber, resident of Section 12, said the method of appraising property has changed in the last 20 years. He said Council members should not put themselves in the real estate business. He said if that building is so valueless and bears such a heavy burden in maintenance, why not have it removed. Mayor Abramowitz said it would cost the City $250,000. He said the problem is the City's anxiety to be compatible with the neighborhood, that is why it is not sold. He said the City has been very responsible to it's residents. Mayor Abramowitz said the City Council does not have an easy job finding a legitimate, sensible offer compatible to the area. Al Sholtz, Vice President of Maintenance in Section 12, said as long as the City keeps it compatible with the area, then Section 12 is with the City 100%. Mayor Abramowitz said the utmost consideration of this City has been compatibility. He said the City had a good offer from a gentleman who would have created no problem there but he needed a 120 foot tower and the City would not do it because this would detract from the area. Marv Seidel, Kings Point resident, said he keeps hearing the expression "bedroom neighborhood". He said the City feels it needs new equipment and it is easy to add taxes to the senior citizens. He said these same people stopped the Lauderhill Theater from coming into this City, but the City still has the same noise and traffic. He said the City also stopped the theater from coming into that white elephant shopping plaza to remain status quo. He said the only issue he hears is children. He said the City has to exist and there has to be justified reasons not to have commercial where commercial is zoned. He said the City needs the money so something has to give. City Council Special Meeting 5/28/9l-elo Page 9 C/W Glasser said one of the programs the Area Agency on Aging has set in place that Tamarac does not make use of is the Medi-van. She said an incentive for the City to give more money would be to have that program come into place in Tamarac. She said it is desperately needed. Mayor Abramowitz said Tamarac has never paid it's fair share. He said the Area Agency on Aging statistically dollar wise gives the City much more than what the City contributes. He said the City of Tamarac has more patients in the Alzheimer Foundation than any City from State Road 84 to the Palm Beach County line. Mimi Glass, Broker for Better Homes and Gardens in Boca Raton, asked if $500,000 or $531,000 are net. V/M Bender said his figure for $500,000 was net. With no further business, Mayor Abramowitz ADJOURNED this meeting at 3:21 p.m. NORMAN ABRAMOWITZ MAYOR CAROL A. EVANS CITY CLERK "This document was promulgated at a cost of $ 124.28 or $2.76 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." CITY OF TAMARAC APPROVED AT MEETING OF 6/26/91 Carol A. Evans City Clerk ~� ��/��N��p�� | ~ ) I a | � � � � � � � = ? �� N P ( * H J � � A C 5 7 �� / N [ c e � � � � � � � � � ! �! 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