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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1980-06-12 - City Commission Budget Workshop Meeting MinutesCITY OF TAMARAC CITY COUNCIL BUDGET WORKSHOP - F/Y 1980/81 June 12, 1980 CALL TO ORDER: The Workshop on the Proposed Budget was called to order at 9:30 A.M. on Thursday, June 12th, 1980 by Vice Mayor Massaro. She advised this meeting was called to review, in detail, the budget for the Fire Department and Recreation Department for the fiscal year 1980/81. The Vice Mayor asked to be excused, therefore, Council, recessed for five minutes. ROLL CALL: PRESENT: Mayor Walter W. Falck (arrived at 10:30 A.M.) C/W Marjorie Kelch C/M Irving M. Zemel C/M Irving M. Disraelly Vice Mayor Helen Massaro ALSO PRESENT: E.A. Gross, City Manager Laura Z. Stuurmans, Assistant City Manager Bob Hoyt, Ass't Fin, Dir, Steve Wood, Finance Director The City Manager-asked.if there were any comments to be made on prior budget workshops. Councilwoman Kelch questioned the division of the Personnel/Insurance budget. Mr. Gross indicated this was being done. Vise Mayor stated she is waiting for final figures on the budget before making specific' observations. Mr. Gross explained .the new State Legislation. The tax bill that went through is going to require a referendum on the 9th of September. The referendum will include a Homestead Exemption be raised to $15,000.00 this year., $20,000.00 next year and $25,000.00 the year after. This is in addition to the $5,000.00 exemption for Senior Citizens. lie further advised it is his understanding that under new law, by a simple majority, a municipal, organization will be able to increase taxes up to 8% and if a higher increase is required, there must be a simple majority, plus one. Councilwoman Kelch questioned if exemptions will be predicated on the full assessed evaluations and Mr. Gross said that was correct. He indicated next year there may be two tax bills; one in October and a second tax bill sometime in the Spring. FIRE DEPARTMENT The City Manager indicated the budget was written after Council had a workshop meeting. The Chief's proposal is based upon what he felt was the consensus view of Council. Mr. Gross indicated he had made some adjustments to the Fire Department's budget. Item #16 and 17 (form D) $6,500. slJould be left in the. City Managers column of the budget, PERSONNEL I. Councilman Zemel suggested a means of saving approx- imately $22,500. in salaries and benefits by taking the personnel to be added in January, February and March and hiring them in July, August and September, doubling up in those periods so that the training program would be started and by July the programs would be in full action. He suggested it would be easier to train two (2) men at a time rather than one (1) man. Chief Simon felt there would be no problem. 2. Councilman Zemel pointed out the creation of rank of Fire Inspector. (Item #5) He felt this was a fine idea and suggested the city's concept should be gradual inspections of all commercial property with a fee attached and a certificate. He indicated this would be a possible source of additional revenue. 3. Councilman Disraelly questioned compensation for Driver Engineers. (Item #2) The City Manager stated this isa normal status. 4. Councilman Zemel questioned the salary alignment for Assistant Fire Chief. He felt the salary of the Assistant Chief and the Chief of the Fire Department should be brought a little closer to the salaries of Police Personnel. He felt their responsibilities are comparable. Ile recommended the salary of Assistant Chief be brought up $3,900.00 rather than $2,900,00. (This would change the range from 24 to approximately 27). Councilman Disraelly felt the pay plan for the city should be revised, if need be, but not on a department by department basis. Vice Mayor Massaro concurred with the pay plan. She felt the daily exposure of the Police Department and the Fire Department are mgch different because the type of community we have does not expose our Firemen to the dangers that they would normally be exposed to in a different type of a City where you have different positions. Councilman Zemel clarified he was speaking of administrative and not the men in the field, The City Manager indicated the City draws from the same labor pools as other cities which may offer much more and in order for the city to keep good men, it must pay them within the same range. He stated he will give Council a pay scale sometime within the week. For the record Mayor Falck entered Council Chambers at 10:30 A.M. CAPITAL ITEMS 1. (ITEM #40) Councilman Zemel discussed the (10) Motorola Type Executive Tone and Voice Pagers. He .suggested additional pagers be added. 2. (ITEM #43) Councilman Zemel and Chief Simon discussed, in detail, various hose apparatus. Councilman Zemel recommended changing the 700 feet of hose to 1000 feet of hose, and $500.00 for fittings. rather than $1000.00. 3. (ITEM #44) Councilman Zemel questioned the Hurst Tool. Chief Simon explained now that the City is working in. two areas (Fire Station #1 and Fire Station #2) he would like to have a spare in case one goes down. 4, (ITEM #50) BETAMAX - Chief Simon explained the use of this equipment as permanent record, for fire training inspections and for a future training tool. The City Manager felt this was important for training programs but indicated it is something the. Diapartment could dowithout. The concensus of Council was to remove this item. PERSONNEL (Again) Councilman Disraelly recommended that instead of one (1) person beginning January, February, March and April, that (2) people be brought in to start with May lst.(Training Program) -2•- Budget'Workshop 6--12-80 /mac C/M Disraelly said present overtime expense of $2,000.00 is right on target for five months. Based on that, he felt the supplemental should only be $1 000.00�n6t $3,000.00, GASOLINE/AUTO Councilman Disraelly advised what is put under supplemental (Gasoline) is actually continuation. The cost of gas and diesel is now running 135% of projection. He felt $10,000.00 should be shown as continuation. He further advised he felt the figure of $800.00 should stay the same for tires, oil, etc. for the engines. The City Manager indicated we are not basin; our ',budget on just what has been used this year, but on what has lt,^en use(! this year, plus what is possibly expected for the coming year: MEETINGS AND'SEMINARS The Manager felt the $1000,00 for meetingsand seminars was necessary and in response to Councilman Disraelly the Manager replied there are no state funds for education of Firefighters. AUTOMATIC DOOR OPENERS The City Manager indicated the garage bays do not have the ability to open and close automatically. Councilman Disraelly indicated the cost of one -residential door opener (electronic) is $125.00. and asked this price be checked again. GENERAL COMMENTS Vice Mayor Massaro stated this budget is based on a 25% increase. She said she does not think anyone on the City Council intends to allow the taxes to increase and commented the budget will have to be brought down. The City Manager said he feels the budget the Fire Chief is projecting provides for a certain level of service and Council will have to advise what level of service they wish to fund. Councilman Disraelly said the Fire Insurance Under- writers have indicated the City of Tamarac already has a good level of service now. He felt that the City cannot afford at the present time to increase the budget requirements by almost 40%. He further said he -felt there are certain items that could be held back. Mayor Falck excused himself from the meeting but said he too felt the budget must be scaled down to bring it in line with cost of living. If the departments are not going to decrease it, he sai-', Council will just have to take it down. Councilwoman Kelch said she wanted to make sure that the area of Fire Station #2 is not affected to the point where it is rendered ineffectual. The City must maintain the level of service the citizens desire. She said she wants to make sure the cuts aren't to the point where they are going to deprive the new station of its efficiency, If the entire budget has to be addressed and lowered, she said she will not disagree with that. The Fire Chief was directed to reconsider his proposed budget and make reductions pursuar,- to Council's observations today and where otherwise feasible. -3- Budget Workshop June 12, 1980 /mac RECREATION No changes were suggested by Council for this budget. The Assistant Finance Director noted the part-time sa4aries for the Summer Recreation Program will have to be revised to 12,000 in keeping with Council's recent adjustment to the 79/80 Budget for this area. Councilman Zemel and Vice Mayor Massaro questioned the City Manager as to why everything the Recreation Director requested was recommended by him. The Manager said he felt the budget was fair and the items requested are needed for recreation operations. He pointed out the three (3) major increases are for electricity and activities in the recreation program. In the personnel/service area figures are incorrect and required revision due to the Summer Recreation Youth Program staffing being increased recently by Council. Councilman Disraelly indicated the supplement for electricity should show as a continuation item. C/W Kelch questioned how much money was to come out of the General Fund for items such as dancing classes, instructors. (Supplement 3) C/M Disraelly questioned why can't excess monies from instructor fees and classes be put into the Recreation Fund and not the General Fund. Steve Wood replied at this time, all her department expenditures are charged to a liability account. All money collected from Recreation activities also go into this liability account,so the department has this balance to work from.This is in instances where the department expends money before it collects the revenues from a given function. Councilman Zemel asked the City Manager what the anticipated income of: the Recreation Department for the 80/81 Fiscal Year will be. The City Manager said $15,000.00 is reflected under recreation fees/ revenues. Bob Hoyt indicated this includes the summer program plus additional fees and the amount is over and above the fees that are returned to the instructors. These revenues that go into the General Fund/Park and Recreation offset the other expense items for the Recreation Department activities. Vice Mayor Massaro questioned the supplemental request (Item #3) for $2,000.00. She was advised this was the actual cost that will be generated for the various programs. She asked if this increase was for recreational activities and additional activities that are to be incorporated or is this because of any operating loss in that department. Sharon Ellis indicated these expenses were not all recoverable items and the increase is based on the inflation factor, not much additional/ new projects. Councilman Disraelly said last year Sharon itemized these costs for Council. (Halloween costumes, parade, childrens party, entertainment, etc.) This year they are not itemized. V/M asked how much money was actually spent during this year. Sharon said the department will have spent the entire budgeted amount by the end of this fiscal year. Steve Wood said the Recreation Department has incurred $1800.00 in expenditures and they have encumbered another almost $900.00 through May. Sharon said another $2000.00 is needed in order to make the program in 80/81 equally as good as the 79/80 year. C/M Zemel questioned)of the $15,000.00 anticipated income, does any of that money consist of donations. Sharon said when a donation comes in, it goes right back out for the intended purpose. It thus is cancelled out and has no effect on the budget. V/M Massaro asked the City Manager where he expects to obtain the $15,000.00 in revenues next year, or where did it come from last year. She asked for a breakdown in a memo. There was further discussion regarding the ballpark lights and Councilman Disraelly noted the Ballpark Lights should be turned on only when there is a game. In the area of Recreation Insurance, Sharon indicated Judy Deutsch was able to save the Recreation Department a considerable amount of money ($1200.00) this year4 She indicated a general policy is carried which covers all Recreation Department activities year round. It was noted there were no changes projected in office supplies and equipment. -4- Budget Workshop June 12, 1980 /mac r MEETING ADJOURNED. ITY LERK This public document was promulgated at a cost of or $p_ per copy to inform the general public and public officers and employees about recent opinions and considerations by the City Council of the City of Tamarac. -5- Budget Workshop June 12, 1980 /mac