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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1985-09-19 - City Commission Special Budget Meeting Minutesil 0 5811 NORTHWEST 88TH AVENUE TAMARAC, FLORIDA 33321 TELEPHONE (305) 722-5900 MAIL REPLY TO: September 17, 1985 P.O. BOX 25010 TAMARAC, FLORIDA 33320 NOTICE OF BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL FISCAL YEAR 1985/86 Please be advised that a public hearing will be held by the City Council on Thursday, September 19, 1985, at 2:30 P.M., in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 5811 NW 88 Avenue, Tamarac, Florida, on the following item: Tamarac Utilities East - Temp. Ord. #_122.2 - Discussion and possible action to adopt the Annual Tamarac Utilities East Fund Budget for FY 1985/86. First • Reading. • The public is invited to attend. Carol E. Barbuto Assistant City Clerk Pursuant to Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes It a person decides to appeal any decision made by the city Council with respect to any matter considered at such meeting or hearing, he will need a record of the proceedings and for such purpose, ha may need to Ensure that a verbatim record includes tha testirnony and evidence upon which the appeal is to r,r, inaGsd. AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER POLICY OF NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF HANDICAPPED STATUS CITY OF TAMARAC BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING - FY 1985/86 SEPTEMBER 19, 1985 Tape CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Philip B. Kravitz called the meeting to 1 order on Thursday, September 19, 1985 at 2:30 P.M. in Council Chambers. ROLL CALL: PRESENT: Mayor Philip B. Kravitz Vice Mayor Helen Massaro Councilman Arthur H. Gottesman Councilman Raymond J. Munitz ABSENT: Councilman Sydney M. Stein ALSO PRESENT: Larry Perretti, Acting City Manager Jon Henning, City Attorney Frank Etheredge, Finance Director Carol E. Barbuto, Assistant City Clerk V. Diane Williams, Secretary MEDITATION AND PLEDGE: Mayor Kravitz asked for a Moment of Silent Meditation followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Tamarac Utilities East - Temp. Ord. #1222 - Discussion and possible action to adopt the Annual Tamarac Utilities East Fund Budget for FY 1985/86. First Reading. SYNOPSIS OF ACTION: APPROVED Temp. Ord. #1222 on First Reading - Public Hearing was held. Acting City Manager Larry Ferretti presented Council with proposed budgets and recommended their approval on First Reading. Frank Etheredge, Finance Director, reported that the budget in- cluded $150,000 for plant repairs, $50,000 professional fees and $147,000 Capital Project which is the sewer gravity collection system. He said to finance the operation accounts and the capital projects they had to appropriate, in addition to the revenues coming in next year, approximately $223,000 of the existing funds. Mr. Etheredge said he did not foresee any unusual expenditures. Bill Greenwood, City Engineer/Utilities Director, explained that the $55,000 expenditure was for preparation for "as built" water and sanitary sewer line plans. He said the City, at present, does not know the exact location of its valves within the systems and/ or its easements in Tamarac Utilities East, and the expenditure for the preparation of the plans would enable the utilities per- sonnel, now and in the future, to locate the facilities. Mr. Greenwood stated that County and State personnel have been known to go in and asphalt over valves and with proper location this can also be avoided in the future. The City Engineer explained that the proposed plant repairs con- sisted of six sewerage pump stations in that area; he said they were the original ones installed by the developer. Mr. Greenwood said they are in deplorable condition and are recommended for com- plete replacement. He said the Sanitary Sewer Project is for the Tamarac Lakes Area and is designed to replace and install a new sanitary sewer collection system to service approximately 74 existing dwellings that are on septic tanks. Mr. Greenwood con- cluded that these were the major capital improvements for Tamarac Utilities East. 1 9/19/85 /VDW V/M Massaro asked him to clarify that the work is only to the pro- perty line. Mr. Greenwood responded that in the Tamarac Lakes Area there are approximately 74 dwellings on septic tanks and the City had the consultants design a project to eliminate the septic tanks. He said the total project cost is $260,000, and the City's share will be $147,215. Mr. Greenwood said the remaining $112,785 will come from a State grant. He said the installation to be performed by the City will be the main line in the roadway to the road easement and it will be up to the property owners to pick up the piping system from the road easement and connect it to their dwelling plus the elimination of the septic tank. The City Engineer reported that to take a septic tank out of service the County re- quires, as a minimum, that the system be pumped out, holes be placed in the bottom of the septic tank and the septic tank struc- ture filled with gravel. He said the cost involved on private property with the connection of the house to the main sewer at the road right-of-way, plus the elimination of the septic tank, is 100% the individual property owner's expense. C/M Gottesman asked if it were mandatory that a property owner connect to the City's sewer system. The City Engineer replied that connection is mandatory for anyone within 200' of a sanitary sewer system as required by the City Code as well as State law. C/M Munitz inquired of the estimated cost per resident for the connection. Mr. Greenwood answered that he did not have the figures with him at present but the costs have been computed and are available. Jack Castaldi, resident, asked if these people have a certain time in which to connect. The City Engineer believed the time period for connection was 12 months - 12 months within the State law and 18 months within the City Code. C/M Munitz asked if the $147,215, which is the City's share, comes from the revenue produced by this system because he assumed that the amount had been included in the rate. Frank Etheredge, Finance Director, replied that it is coming not only from the money gene- rated this year but also from money that was generated in the past from the system. He said approximately $261,000 of the accumu- lated surplus is being used this year to fund the project. He said there will be no rate increase this year. The Finance Director said $9,000, as required by the State, will be set aside as a reserve account and cannot be spent in any way. John Dunne, Tamarac Lakes South, said he was puzzled because con- siderable work was done on the lift stations seven to eight years ago and was not done by the developer. He said the residents are upset that Council intends to spend the surplus monies to install a main line to connect residents to the system who have not contributed to the surplus. V/M Massaro said the reserve was set up for the purpose of funding various repairs for the system, and it was determined at that time to let the money remain in the account and all these repairs will be made at no increase in rates with money left over. Mr. Dunne concurred but added that the money was to be used to tie into the County's system but they tied into Fort Lauderdale. 2 a 9/19/85 /VDW w V/M Massaro said no system can exist indefinitely without repairs or replacements just as in Tamarac Utitilites West the only difference being these costs were anticipated and included in the budget. Evelyn Lang, resident, said she was confused because it was explained to the residents that the money was originally collected to tie into the 201 system; however, she did not object to what they were doing but wanted to know what they were doing. V/M Massaro said if the monies to fund these expenses did not come from the surplus fund they would have to raise the rates in order to cover the expenses. Bernard Campbell, resident, said the surplus accumulated because of overcharges. V/M Massaro said there is no question but that the repairs have to be made and the remaining funds should be given back to the people. Ralph Stoltz, resident, asked why there was a special budget for the east section. Mr. Etheredge responded that the bond issues for Tamarac Utilities West stipulated that no other utility system could be co -mingled with the West funds as it was a stand-alone operation and as long as those bonds exist there will always be a Utilities East and a Utilities West. Mr. Stoltz said he disagreed with V/M Massaro and cited letters stating that the overcharge was to connect them with the Fort Lauderdale sewerage system. V/M Massaro asked if he would rather h"e an increase in price to absorb the cost. Jack Casttialdi, resident, said he thought it a good idea to return .the surplus and raise the rates next year so that the 75 people who -will benefit from the proposed project pay their due share. Acting City Manager Perretti explained if they were to refund the surplus money and forestall capital improvements for this coming year, there would be a rate increase between 67% and 75% on their water bill. V/M Massaro said capital improvements cannot be forestalled but have to be included in the rate increase. Frank Stoltz, resident, asked if the water coming from Fort Lauderdale goes through master meters, and asked if correlation was made of the amount that goes through the meters with the amount sold to the people. He said if there were leaks in the piping, the residents would have to pay for it. Mr. Perretti said it was Fort Lauderdale's responsibility to correct it not the City of Tamarac as that is why they are paying them the rates. He said the rates in Fort Lauderdale are consi- derably higher than Tamarac's. Mr. Greenwood said the existing computer program for billing in Tamarac Utilities East does arrive at a total cumulative amount of water that is sold, and the Finance Department has, also, been reading the master meters but he does know the correlation is available although he does not know it at present. V/M Massaro said if there were any discrepancy it would have been brought to the Utilities Director's attention. Walter Blocher, Tamarac Lakes North, asked if no provisions had been made over the years for repairs. Council who answered that no reserves for repairs has ever been established for Tamarac Utilities East. 3 f 9/19/85 / /VDW �/ Mayor Kravitz proposed reserves be established in the future for repairs, capital improvements, etc. Angelina Palermo, Tamarac North, objected to the residents' money being used to connect the people who are still using sewers. Mayor Kravitz closed the public hearing. C/M Munitz stated that the residents must understand the whole story and not the part they like to hear. He said they loved to hear about getting money back but it meant that their rates will practically double. Mayor Kravitz announced that the next public hearing will be on Monday, September 30, 1985, at 6:00 P.M. in Council Chambers. V/M Massaro MOVED that the budget AS AMENDED be approved on first reading. SECONDED by C/M Gottesman. VOTE: C/M Stein Absent C/M Munitz Aye C/M Gottesman Aye V/M Massaro Aye Mayor Kravitz Aye Mayor Kravitz adjourned the meeting at 4:00 p.m. MAYOR ' ,ATTEST: - --- City Clerk This public document was promulgated at a cost of $77.78 or J Z.16 per copy to inform the general public and public officers and employees about recent opinions and cnsiderati,ons by the City Council of the City of Tamarac. CITY OF TAMA C A ROVED AT MEETING 01= City Cler 4 i 9/19/85 1 /VDw