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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-07-12 - City Commission Workshop Meeting MinutesCITY OF TAMARAC CITY COMMISSION WORKSHOP MEETING MONDAY, JULY 12, 1999 CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Schreiber called the workshop to order on Monday, July 12, 1999, at 9:40 a.m. in Conference Room #1 of Tamarac City Hall, 7525 NW 88t" Avenue, Tamarac, Florida. PRESENT: Mayor Joe Schreiber, Vice Mayor Larry Mishkin, Commissioner Edward C. Portner, Commissioner Karen L. Roberts and Commissioner Marc L. Sultanof. ALSO PRESENT: Robert S. Noe, Jr., City Manager, Mitchell S. Kraft, City Attorney, Tim Hemstreet, Assistant City Manager and Carol Gold, City Clerk 1. 7/14/99 Agenda Items: Commissioner Roberts questioned item 6(q), in particular the cost for each class. TEMPORARY RESOLUTION #8666, authorizing the purchase of software training services from Camp USA at a rate of $650.00 per class, not to exceed $15,000.00. MIS Director Sucuoglu responded. There was discussion about the number of people attending the classes, prorating the cost of the classes, and the option to cancel a class if the required number of people were not able to attend. MIS Director Sucuoglu said a class could be cancelled two (2) weeks prior to the scheduled date, but this was not in writing. City Attorney Kraft asked MIS Director Sucuoglu to get something in writing about the cancellation clause before Wednesday's Commission meeting. Mayor Schreiber questioned whether item 6(s) should be on the consent agenda. TEMPORARY RESOLUTION #8680, authorizing the appropriate City Staff to negotiate the renewal of the Single -Family Solid Waste and Residential Recycling Collection Services Agreements between the City of Tamarac and All Service Refuse Company. Mayor Schreiber asked what relief, other than the one- (1) month grace period, was available to homeowners who are away for several months during the year. Public Works Recycling Coordinator DuPuis responded. Commissioner Roberts said this Resolution only authorizes negotiation for the renewal of the Agreement, and it must come back before the Commission again. Commissioner Sultanof asked about adding a provision for more bulk pickup for multi -family residences. Mayor Schreiber responded that multi -family residences do not get the same service as single family, and Commissioner Roberts said people in her neighborhood would like to have bulk pickup more often, or have a drop-off place for bulk pickup. Vice Mayor Mishkin suggested negotiations regarding bulk pick- up for multi -family residences should be taken up with Waste Management. Commissioner Roberts questioned the status of the lease agreement in Item #11. TEMPORARY RESOLUTION #8685, authorizing the appropriate City Officials to execute a Lease Agreement with Ramco-Gershenson, Inc., for the location of Satellite City Hall at Sunshine Plaza in Tamarac. Assistant to the City Manager Allen gave an update on the progress of the lease, and said the square footage in the Resolution needs to be amended as the City 7/12/99 is getting a larger space. Also, the landlord requested that the Satellite City Hall be open 40 hours per week. Commissioner Portner asked if Broward Sheriffs Office would be on site, whether the shopping center could force the City to remain open 40 hours a week, and if the City is prepared to fund this. Assistant City Manager Hemstreet responded. Commissioner Roberts said she would rather use the mobile van than keep the satellite facility open 40 hours a week. There was discussion about the hours for the Satellite City Hall, and Commissioner Sultanof asked what the cost factor would be for payroll. Assistant to the City Manager Allen said it would be about $60,000.00 for two (2) part time staff. Vice Mayor Mishkin said this set out to be an experiment, the primary purpose of which is to establish a satellite and create a visual presence. Commissioner Sultanof asked how long the lease is for and Commissioner Roberts asked about an opt -out clause. Assistant City Manager Hemstreet said the lease is for 3 years, and in order to continue the agreement each year, the Commission must appropriate funding. There is a termination clause which says the City has to notify the landlord 30 days prior to the end of the fiscal year in order to terminate without penalty. There was discussion about demolition of the building in the front of the bay, and Mayor Schreiber asked if the bus transportation system the City is considering would make it easier for people to get to City Hall and take the place of the need for a Satellite City Hall. Assistant City Manager Hemstreet said keeping the Satellite City Hall open for 40 hours instead of 20 hours per week would be a substantive change to the contract, and without immediate direction from the Commission, the Lease Agreement will have to wait until the August 25, 1999 agenda. City Attorney Kraft asked for clarification as to whether the language regarding the 40-hour operation would stop the deal, and after further discussion, Mayor Schreiber asked for an expression of interest to approve the lease with the 40-hour language if necessary. There was consensus to try to get the lease through with 20 hours per week of operation, but if that was not feasible, then to go with the 40 hours for a trial period of one (1) year. The Commission additionally approved funding for 40 hours if necessary. City Attorney Kraft said the Resolution needed to be revised. Mayor Schreiber called for a recess at 10:30 AM, and the workshop meeting reconvened at 10:40 AM with all present. Mayor Schreiber questioned item #10, and asked if the bonds are for Street Repaving. TEMPORARY RESOLUTION #8672, amending and supplementing Resolution No. 98-156 relating to the City's Revenue Bonds; fixing certain terms and details of such Bonds; authorizing a negotiated sale of such Bonds pursuant to a Bond Purchase Contract; approving the form of and authorizing the distribution of a Preliminary Official Statement and authorizing the execution and delivery of a Final Official Statement; selecting a Paying Agent and Registrar and authorizing the execution and delivery of Agreements between the City and the Bond Registrar and Paying Agent; ratifying the selection of Financial Guaranty Insurance Company as Bond Insurer and providing for certain matters in connection therewith; authorizing the execution and delivery of a Continuing Disclosure Certificate; authorizing other required actions. 2 7/12/99 Finance Director McGarrity gave a presentation and said the Resolution authorizes the sale of bonds and the rate as of Friday is 5.16%. City Manager Noe said item #8 is the same rate as last year. TEMPORARY RESOLUTION #8629, relating to the provision of Fire Rescue Services, facilities and programs in the City of Tamarac, Florida; establishing the estimated assessment rate for Fire Rescue Assessments for the Fiscal Year beginning October 1, 1999; directing the preparation of an assessment roll; authorizing a public hearing and directing the provision of notice thereof. Management and Budget Officer Ralston said the Resolution sets the first public hearing for September 8, 1999. 2. Annexation Committee: Commissioner Portner said he would like to have an Annexation Committee formed to review proposed annexation. Mayor Schreiber said there is an Annexation Committee but no one was appointed to it, and Mayor Schreiber asked for an expression of interest to reactivate the Annexation Committee. Everyone agreed. Mayor Schreiber said it would have to be done after the Commission's vacation, and City Attorney Kraft asked if the Commission wanted to reactivate the old members or solicit new applicants. Commissioner Sultanof said the Commission should look at the previous group and reactive them, as they were very well versed on the subject. Mayor Schreiber added that a public notice was necessary. 3. Privatization Committee: Mayor Schreiber asked for reactivation of the Privatization Committee, and after discussion it was decided that an Ad Hoc Committee to review privatization matters would be more advantageous. 4. Liaison -Transportation: Commissioner Sultanof asked City Manager Noe add a Resolution to Wednesday's Regular Commission Meeting designating Vice Mayor Mishkin as liaison to a new Committee for Transportation. Mayor Schreiber requested that the Commission be kept up to date on transportation matters. There was discussion about bus service, and Vice Mayor Mishkin said he is happy to serve as a liaison and bring information about bus routes back to the Commission. Mayor Schreiber asked the City Manager to prepare a Resolution for Wednesday's meeting, and asked for an expression of interest. All agreed. 5. Various Issues: Commissioner Roberts spoke about lack of communication between the Commissioners. Commissioner Roberts said she received a telephone call from a Pembroke Pines resident about Tamarac being on Channel 10 News regarding the millennium. All the Commissioners should have been informed of this. Commissioner Roberts referenced the June 23rd minutes where credit was given for the new schools in Tamarac. This was something all the Commissioners were aware of and participated in. Commissioner Roberts added that at the last Workshop meeting, Mayor Schreiber requested that the Commission take no longer than 3 minutes each to speak. There are rules of procedure for Commission meetings that say the Commission members have an unlimited amount of time in which to speak. Mayor Schreiber said this was only a suggestion. Commissioner Roberts discussed communication between the City Manager's office and the Commission, and said there are many layers to go through in the City Manager's 3 7/12/99 office now, and things are not communicated well. Commissioner Sultanof added that new employees should be personally introduced to the Mayor and Commissioners. Vice Mayor Mishkin agreed and said it establishes a better rapport for new employees to meet the Commission personally. Mayor Schreiber and Commissioner Roberts agreed. Vice Mayor Mishkin asked Fire Chief Budzinski to look into a situation at the Fire Station that occurred on Friday, when Vice Mayor Mishkin stopped at the Fire Station and the door was locked. Fire Chief Budzinski said he will look into this. Mayor Schreiber asked if there was a backup to the phone system when the phones are out at the Fire Station and Broward Sheriffs Office, and Fire Chief Budzinski responded that our telephone system has no backup; however, the 911 number still works even if the phones are out. 6. Commission Salary and Benefits: Mayor Schreiber discussed the possibility of removing the section of the Tamarac Charter that regulates the Commission's salaries and City Attorney Kraft said this would require research. Commissioner Roberts said two (2) people asked her about a citizen petition, and Assistant City Attorney Steinerts looked into it for her. Commissioner Sultanof asked City Attorney Kraft if Tamarac could get someone in the legislative delegation in Tallahassee to introduce a Bill to modify the Charter, and City Attorney Kraft said there is a process that must be followed for Charter Board recommendations. Commissioner Portner asked if the process can be circumvented, and City Attorney Kraft responded that before responding he needs more information, but there have been instances in which Special Acts have been passed. Vice Mayor Mishkin said he would not vote to place an item regarding salaries on the ballot for a referendum. Mayor Schreiber said the City Manager has put $50,000 in the budget for education for Charter Amendments, and there is a different climate in the City now than there has been. City Attorney Kraft said that until the time of the Community Center Referendum, residents did not get behind referendums and there was minimal education and support. Vice Mayor Mishkin said referendums are confusing because there are usually many items proposed by the County and State on the same ballot, and this is not the time to talk of a referendum to change the Charter. Diane Glasser, 9507 NW 72 Court, Tamarac, FL 33321, said the changes to the Charter may save the City a lot of money. The Charter Board and Commission are going to schedule a meeting to discuss the proposed Charter Changes before they go to public hearing, to make sure everyone is on the same wave length. Because of past history there is concern on the part of the Charter Board to place a revision of the salaries for the Mayor and Commission on the ballot, and the Charter Board is considering placing this on the next ballot, as they do not want to cloud the issues. Mayor Schreiber asked City Attorney Kraft to contact the legislative delegation to see what can be done in Tallahassee. 7. Senator Campbell 's request for City Budget Items: Mayor Schreiber received a letter from Senator Campbell asking if the City has any budget items it would like him to pursue. Commissioner Sultanof said he understood the City hired a grant writer; other cities are getting large sums of money and he would like to see Tamarac get its share. City Manager Noe responded that Assistant to 4 7/12/99 the City Manager Allen is to oversee issues that have to go to the State Legislative Delegation. Vice Mayor Mishkin said the response to Senator Campbell should come from City Manager Noe, and Mayor Schreiber directed City Manager Noe to respond to Senator Campbell. 8. Israel Bond Investments: Mayor Schreiber said he attended the Pension Board Conference and there was a session in which Israeli Bonds were discussed. Mayor Schreiber spoke about the value of Israeli Bonds and said he expected a presentation to be set up shortly. Vice Mayor Mishkin said he proposed this to the Pension Board about a year ago and has been working diligently to educate the Pension Board on this matter. Vice Mayor Mishkin said this needs to go through the advisors to the Pension Board, and they in turn will have to make a recommendation to have the Pension Board invest in Israeli Bonds. The State of Florida has $55 million in Israeli Bonds, and several cities have purchased Israeli Bonds for their Pension funds. Mayor Schreiber said Tamarac has an Investment Advisory Committee, but is precluded from investing in Israeli Bonds because of the investment policy, and he will bring this up at the next Pension Board meeting. 9. Welcome Sign on University Drive at Veterans' Memorial: Mayor Schreiber said there is a Tamarac sign on University Drive facing southbound traffic, and asked the City Manager to look into placing a sign on the north side alerting people to Veterans' Park. Mayor Schreiber added that the concrete is cracked at Veterans Memorial Park. Commissioner Sultanof said he noticed that children are using skateboards there, and he got approval for signs stating that skateboards are prohibited. Commissioner Sultanof said the concrete should be fixed, and City Manager Noe said he would look into it. Vice Mayor Mishkin said there was previous discussion about the entryway signs to Tamarac being lit upon completion of median improvements. At this time, improvements to Pine Island Road and University Boulevard have been completed but the signs are not yet lit. Vice Mayor Mishkin asked City Manager Noe to look into this. Mayor Schreiber received a letter from Dr. John Krause, objecting to the requirement that he sign an oath. Dr. Krause said he is a volunteer, not an employee, and should not have to take an oath of office. City Attorney Kraft said it is a statutory oath, it addresses officers, and his office is looking into the matter. There was discussion about volunteers. Commissioner Sultanof said there are a large number of people who applied to serve on the Boards and Committees. Many get appointed and then do not attend the meetings. Commissioner Roberts said on one committee a member is absent 2 times without being excused and the third time gets an excuse. Then they start over again. Mayor Schreiber said the Commission should be notified and they will not be reappointed. Vice Mayor Mishkin said about a year ago there was discussion about rules and regulations regarding Board/Committee appointment orientation. City Manager Noe said he would look into this. Commissioner Portner asked Public works Director Verma to speak about the problem of sweeping the streets, and Public works Director Verma gave a presentation. There was discussion about whether the City could sweep County and State streets and get reimbursed from these agencies for the cost incurred, 5 7/12/99 and Mayor Schreiber suggested opening communications with the County and the State to see about reimbursement. Vice Mayor Mishkin said after several years of negotiations between the City Manager and the Sheriffs Department, Tamarac has been the recipient of a token service; a crew of inmates was sent to police the streets, however they wound up sweeping the State's portion of the streets. The process needs to be refined, and Vice Mayor Mishkin asked that the City Manager work something out between the County, State and Broward Sheriffs Office. Commissioner Sultanof asked what the inmates' scope of work is, how many people are in a crew, and discussed the possibility of privatization. Chief Goldstein responded. City Manager Noe asked for a recommendation on whether to buy a sweeper or privatize, and Mayor Schreiber said at the budget hearings this will be discussed. Mayor Schreiber asked for an expression of interest to pursue cleaning County and State streets, and after discussion it was decided to defer this matter until the budget hearings. City Manager Noe said he believed this would require an Interlocal Agreement and City Attorney Kraft said it would not be a quick process. Chief Goldstein expressed his regrets at not being able to attend the groundbreaking ceremony. Chief Goldstein said it is the responsibility of the Sheriff's Office, and mandated by the State, that people be informed via flyers and educational forums when a predator moves into the neighborhood. A predator has moved into Shaker Village, and there will be a meeting at 7:30 this evening at the Clubhouse to inform the residents. A deputy visits the individual one time each month, and the individual has 30 days to register with the State. The predator who moved into Shaker Village did not register with the State and has been arrested. This person will most likely be returned to jail on a technicality. Vice Mayor Mishkin said about a year ago a known offender moved into Tamarac, and while Chief Goldstein was not mandated to inform the public about this individual, he did so on his own. Chief Goldstein explained that it is not mandated that offenders be pointed out to the residents, while it is mandated for predators. Commissioner Roberts said it is good that Chief Goldstein comes before the Commission and informs them about these types of things because the Commissioners should know about what is happening in their areas. Commissioner Roberts asked Chief Goldstein if the offender program at Tamarac Elementary School will be continued, and Chief Goldstein said it would. City Manager Noe distributed a letter regarding acceptance of buses and suggested discussion of the letter after the Commission had a chance to read it. There being no further business, Mayor Schreiber adjourned the workshop meeting at 12:05 PM. CAROL G33, CMC/AAE CITY CLERK 6 7/12/99 CITY OF TAMARAC CITY COMMISSION BUDGET WORKSHOP MEETING TUESDAY, JULY 13, 1999 CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Schreiber called the workshop to order on Tuesday, July 13, 1999, at 9:30 a.m. in Conference Room #1 of Tamarac City Hall, 7525 NW 88t" Avenue, Tamarac, Florida. PRESENT: Mayor Joe Schreiber, Vice Mayor Larry Mishkin, Commissioner Edward C. Portner, Commissioner Karen L. Roberts and Commissioner Marc L. Sultanof. ALSO PRESENT: Robert S. Noe, Jr., City Manager, Mitchell S. Kraft, City Attorney, Tim Hemstreet, Assistant City Manager and Carol Gold, City Clerk. CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET OVERVIEW: City Manager Noe presented the FY 2000 Budget to the Commission and enumerated the highlights. He reported that this budget is a continuation of the efforts of the past two years. After receiving notice from the Broward County Property Appraiser's Office, Mr. Noe told the Commission that the City will realize an additional $340,000.00 which was not included in the budget. City Manager Noe also reported that five committees were set up to address the five issues that resulted from the Strategic Planning Sessions and that the committee reports will be presented in August. John Ralston, Management and Budget Officer explained that the format used in this budget is the same as last year's but that the Capital Improvement Budget is now incorporated in this document. FINANCE DEPARTMENT BUDGET: Finance Director McGarrity introduced her staff and described aspects of the department's programs. Controller Nealon spoke about the Accounting Division and addressed questions about the fixed asset inventory and payment of invoices. Leanne Williams, Investment Accountant, spoke about the Treasury and Revenue Division. John Ralston, Management and Budget Officer addressed operational reviews, performance measures and the development of a three-year budget. There was discussion of staffing the satellite City Hall, filing liens, return of Performance Bonds and depreciation of City assets. Purchasing and Contracts Manager Flurry discussed involvement with the Broward Purchasing Co-op, a new contracts tracking software program and the new Procurement Card program. Dania Bonilla, Customer Service Representative, spoke of utility accounts, customer billing, implementation of an automatic payment plan and a program modification implementing the distribution of welcome kits to new customers. Commissioners questioned the distribution of canvas bags as part of the welcome kits, late charges on billing, armored car expenses and auction costs and Finance staff responded. Mayor Schreiber called a five minutes recess and the meeting was reconvened with everyone present. MIS BUDGET: Director of MIS Sucuoglu introduced his departmental budget. He addressed issues involving the progress of the GIS system, training, consultants for disaster recovery, laptop computers and the proposed employee personal computer purchase plan. He answered Commissioners' questions. 07/14/99 FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGET: Fire Chief Budzinski spoke of the Fire Department's mission, programs and accomplishments. There was lengthy discussion about the composition of departmental personnel, promotions and morale issues. Mayor Schreiber recessed the workshop until 2:00 p.m. and the meeting was reconvened with everyone present. Presentation of the Fire Department Budget continued with discussion about fire inspections, which are now on schedule, training and public education. Commissioners asked the Fire Chief to elaborate on the need for an Assistant Fire Chief, Rescue Supervisor positions, training and capital projects, including the building of a new fire station. There was also discussion of billing in-house vs. contracting billing services. City Manager Noe discussed union issues. Mayor Schreiber called a five-minute recess and reconvened with everyone present. PUBLIC WORKS STORMWATER BUDGET: Public Works Director Verma and Operations Manager Greenspan presented their budget and spoke of successful grants obtained this year. Director Verma spoke of a proposed Neighborhood Beautification Grant Program. There was discussion of hiring a security officer and Commissioners agreed this was needed. There was lengthy discussion of the Street Sweeping Program and Commissioners agreed the City should purchase a street sweeper and control the program in-house rather than contract additional service. Mayor Schreiber left the meeting at 3:55 p.m. There were questions about staffing, window treatment in the Commission Chambers, and vehicle replacements, which were addressed by staff. Vice Mayor Mishkin recessed the meeting at 4:40 p.m. and announced reconvening tomorrow morning, July 14th at 9:30 a.m. Carol old, CMC/AAE City Clerk 1 2 07/14/99