HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-05-24 - City Commission Retreat Meeting MinutesCITY COMMISSION RETREAT
CITY OF TAMARAC, FLORIDA
WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 20061:30 PM
TAMARAC CITY HALL
7525 NW 88T" AVENUE, ROOM 204
TAMARAC, FL 33321
CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco called the City Commission Retreat to
order on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 at 1:40 P.M., in Room 204, Tamarac City Hall,
7525 NW 881h Avenue, Tamarac, FL 33321.
PRESENT: Mayor Beth Flansbaum-Talabisco, Vice Mayor Edward C. Portner (arrived
at 1:45 p.m.), Commissioner Patte Atkins -Grad, Commissioner Marc L. Sultanof, and
Commissioner Harry Dressler.
ALSO PRESENT: City Manager Jeffrey L. Miller, Assistant City Attorney Julie Klahr,
Deputy City Manager Michael C. Cernech, City Clerk Marion Swenson, Assistant City
Manager Diane Phillips, Fire Chief Jim Budzinski, BSO Chief Ken Dugger, I.T. Director
Levent Sucuoglu, Human Resources Director Maria Swanson, Public Works Director
Jack Strain, Director of Utilities Ray Gagnon, Director of Community Development Chris
King, Public Information Officer Lucy Crockett, Financial Services Director Steve
Chapman, Director of Parks and Recreation Greg Warner, and Building and Code
Compliance Director Gary Jones.
City Manager Miller welcomed everyone, said this is a continuation of the retreat format,
and introduced Public Information Officer Crockett.
Public Information Officer Crockett introduced Ron Ishoy, a seasoned reporter and
editor for the Herald, author of a Broward County Column, wrote about air traffic safety
and the tragedy of children who drown, which was the precipitator of the SWIM Central
movement. In 1999 Mr. Ishoy left the Herald to become Communications Manager for
Michael Satz, State Attorney's Office. Mr. Ishoy brings several perspectives to the table
as he is a Broward resident, journalist and communications manager.
Mr. Ishoy said it is important to do the right thing. In dealing with the media, one should
never lie. Mr. Ishoy spoke about what makes a good reporter and said reporters get
annoyed if we do not get back with them before their deadlines. One should try to be
courteous and get what reporters want for them, if possible. It is always better to err
with extra courtesy. Mr. Ishoy spoke about why reporters focus on bad news rather
than what we want them to cover. After Watergate in 1972-74, the mindset was that
reporters are the watchdogs of society; it is an important function of the press.
Reporters do not want to be hand fed stories from public relations people. Mr. Ishoy
said Tamarac's Public Information Officer does a good job getting things that Tamarac
is doing into the newspaper, and this is very hard to do, as there is a lot of competition
with other stories. Saying `no comment' makes it appear as though one is hiding
something. It is better to give the reporter something `vanilla'. If erroneous information
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May 24, 2006
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is printed in a story, the Mayor and City Commission and/or staff should call Public
Information Officer Crockett. Do not assume any conversation is off the record just
because a reporter says it is. Do not go off the record if there is any way to avoid it.
Friendship between reporters and elected officials is almost never real. Do not chat
with reporters.
Commissioner Sultanof spoke about a reporter putting into print what the reporter
thought Commissioner Sultanof was saying, not what he actually said and asked what
recourse he would have.
Mr. Ishoy said the question to ask oneself is how big a deal is it? If it is insignificant, let
it go and hope the reporter gets it correct next time. Or, do not talk to the reporter next
time.
Mr. Ishoy continued, when a reporter calls, look at talking to the media as an
opportunity, not a challenge. Make sure you get the reporter's name, media affiliation,
and contact information. Think before you speak and if necessary, tell the reporter you
need a few minutes to collect your thoughts.
Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco questioned whether it would be appropriate to tell a
reporter she will call him/her back after she hears his/her question; she always says she
will call back before the deadline. Mr. Ishoy said if you are unable to respond by the
deadline, tell them you will get the information for another time. Feel free to ask the
reporter where he/she is headed and what they are talking about. If you have time
before an interview, do your homework. If you do not know the answer then do not
answer, but tell the reporter you will get back to them. In speaking with reporters, do
not memorize your response and do not read it. When you call back a reporter, have
your response in outline format and you can ask the reporter to send an e-mail with
questions and you will find out the answers. Speak slowly and in short, concise
sentences. This is even more important when dealing with broadcast. If you get a
query from a reporter and are uneasy with where you think it is going to go, you then
need to contact your Public Information Officer or someone for help to interpret the
reporter's questions. Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco said she is sure everyone has had
these moments; they are awkward and do not always flow the way Mr. Ishoy has
indicated. Mr. Ishoy said you must make it flow that way; if you are uncomfortable there
is no sense to talk to the reporter. You can say you are in the middle of something else
and will call them back. Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco said by the time the reporter is
called back he/she says they do not want that story and you are left hanging. Mr. Ishoy
said if you call the reporter back in five minutes and the reporter says they already did
that story, then you need to talk to the editor.
Vice Mayor Portner questioned Mr. Ishoy's statement in which he indicated instead of
saying `no comment on ' X"' saying `let me comment on "Y". Mr. Ishoy responded often
reporters will ask questions but they are asking the wrong questions because they do
not understand the issue. Try to spin that back and say I think what you mean to ask is
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"Z", then give the answer. There is nothing wrong with trying to turn around the
question.
Mr. Ishoy continued, if you do not know the answer to a question, say so. Do not let
reporters put words in your mouth. If you feel a reporter is doing that, feel free to say to
the reporter, ask me a question. Speak with conviction in a conversational tone while
retaining your composure. Feel free to ask questions. Ask the reporter when the story
will run.
Vice Mayor Portner asked how to handle a reporter who becomes antagonistic and Mr.
Ishoy replied just kept to task; be civil, convey information, and send e-mails.
City Manager Miller asked if the Mayor and City Commission get a call on a subject they
do not want to talk about, would it turn the reporter off to say please speak to our Public
Information Officer? Mr. Ishoy said it would be a turn-off. It would be better to say you
are not in a position to offer insight other than what the reporter or you know. Then call
the City Manager or Public Information Officer. There is nothing wrong with saying "I do
not know". Do not tell a reporter to call you back; you always call them back.
Vice Mayor Portner asked what affect letters to the editor have on the general public
and Mr. Ishoy said newspapers do not have the profound effect they had 20 years ago.
Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco said what she, and she believes the rest of the
commission want, is to have evenhanded, fair coverage for the City. The Mayor and
City Commission are working as hard as they can to do what is in the best interest of
the City. Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco said there are provocative issues coming up and
to that end she would like to see Tamarac covered as fairly as possible, and asked if the
City Manager and Public Information Officer could approach the reporters first to give
them a grasp of the situation. Mr. Ishoy said yes, they could go to the newspaper in
advance of an issue and tell the newspaper it is coming up.
Commissioner Sultanof left the room at 2:55 p.m.
Vice Mayor Portner said he has known Mr. Ishoy for a long time and served with him on
the Lauderdale Lakes Alzheimer's Board. Without Mr. Ishoy's assistance the
Lauderdale Lakes Alzheimer's Board would not have been able to survive through the
early years. Vice Mayor Portner thanked Mr. Ishoy for his efforts.
Commissioner Dressler thanked Mr. Ishoy for joining the Mayor and City Commission
this afternoon and said he found the discussion to be very informative.
Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco called for a recess at 3:00 p.m. and reconvened the
Retreat at 3:10 p.m. with all present as before.
Assistant City Manager Phillips said one issue identified by the Mayor and City
Commission was the desire to look at the Boards and Committees due to the changing
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face of Tamarac and diversity. Some Boards and Committees are provided for in the
Charter and some in the Code of Ordinances.
Commissioner Sultanof spoke of residency requirements and confirmed the Mayor and
City Commission may waive these requirements.
Assistant City Manager Phillips said the City is looking for residents of the community to
serve on Boards and Committees. In the past, one resident did move out of the City but
ran a business in the City and the Mayor and City Commission waived the residency
requirement for that member. The past 10 years the median age in Tamarac has
dropped from 65-51. Approximately 30% of the response to the Citizen Survey was
from people 18-35; it is anticipated that the next census will find a drop in age again.
Response from ethnic groups showed 23% identified themselves as not white; 11 % said
their primary language was not English. Boards and Committees typically meet during
the day, and the Mayor and City Commission talked about providing leeway.
Appointments to Boards and Committees will be made in June, and we may want to
think about who will be serving on the Boards and Committees and what is happening
to our Boards and Committees.
Commissioner Sultanof said several members of the Public Art Committee who are
artists, have expressed a desire to have the Chairperson position rotated. Additionally,
there have been attendance issues. Commissioner Sultanof said no city will be able to
stay alive unless there are museums and theaters. Assistant City Attorney Klahr said if
the Mayor and City Commission choose it can be set up so the Board members
themselves can change Chair people or the Mayor and City Commission can amend the
Code.
Assistant City Manager Phillips said the issues raised are good ones and the staff has
thought about them. We are in the process of developing a Public Art Master Plan,
which Director of Community Development King is facilitating. Sometime toward the
end of the summer we will have the Public Art Master Plan ready, and if the makeup
and role of the Public Art Committee is a concern we can incorporate this into the plan
and come back to the Mayor and City Commission with suggestions. Director of
Community Development King said part of the contract with the consultants is for them
to look at the rules and regulations which the Public Art Committee has framed and
make suggestions to make the Committee more efficient. Deputy City Manager
Cernech said the Public Art Committee started out very strong and art was placed
quickly and there is a significant amount of money in the fund. Managing the money in
the fund, as well as the master plan and makeup of the committee is very important and
we need to have guidelines in place. The current guidelines are very restrictive. It is
encouraged that we remain with the status quo at this time until we are able to come
back to the Mayor and City Commission with suggestions.
Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco asked if there would be a gap from June through
September for this committee due to lack of quorum and asked how many times the
committee must meet. Deputy City Manager Cernech said there has been a quorum in
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the number of members on the committee but not enough show up for a quorum at a
meeting. Assistant City Manager Phillips said the committee must meet a minimum of
one time each year.
City Manager Miller said the Mayor and City Commission may want to wait until the
Master Plan is done and then they can rework the Code to be in compliance with the
new Master Plan. After that a new Committee can be appointed.
Commissioner Sultanof asked that the committee hold off on meetings until then.
Building and Code Compliance Director Jones spoke about the Code Enforcement
Board, which meets monthly at 6:30 p.m. The Code Enforcement Board hears cases
with regard to community appearance issues. A parallel procedure is in place for the
Special Master, who handles more technical cases. Building and Code Compliance
Director Jones said he would come to the Mayor and City Commission at a later date to
discuss an abatement process.
Commissioner Sultanof and Vice Mayor Portner said this is a punitive board, and it has
teeth. It is a strong Board.
Assistant City Manager Phillips said the Consumer Affairs Committee is provided for in
the Charter. The Consumer Affairs Committee recommended at their last meeting to
sunset the Committee for one year and then reconvene in one year, if needed.
Human Resources Director Swanson spoke of the Insurance Advisory Board and said
over the past year their focus was on hurricane related matters. They participated in the
Hurricane Expo one month ago, and their primary discussions over the last six months
were with regard losses to the city, pet shelters, generators and city insurance
coverage. The Board meets in the morning. Sometimes the timing of the meetings is
not in sync with issues, such as the employee benefits and insurance renewals. There
is a limited window to get the rates to the Mayor and City Commission, and Human
Resources Director Swanson said while she would like to bring this information to the
Insurance Advisory Board before bringing it to the Mayor and City Commission many
times this is not possible. Human Resources Director Swanson spoke of flexibility in
meeting schedule for this Board and Assistant City Attorney Klahr said the ordinance
can be amended to say the Board will meet at least one time each month at a regularly
scheduled time or any other time as required.
City Manager Miller said when the vision is prepared for the Mayor and City
Commission's review in the fall, the Mayor and City Commission may, at that time, find
they want to realign committees to meet with their goals. Perhaps appointees can be
taken from one committee and moved to another, to bring their expertise to the
forefront.
Financial Services Director Chapman spoke about the Investment Advisory Committee,
and said last year the meetings were changed from monthly to quarterly meetings.
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Financial Services Director Chapman spoke of the history of the committee and added
current meetings last about 30 minutes. The City's investment portfolio is not trading at
this time; there are no speculative interests.
Vice Mayor Portner asked if due to the volatility of the market now, it would be advisable
for the committee to meet every month in the foreseeable future. Financial Services
Director Chapman said he did not think so, as we are not investing in stocks and the
Investment Advisory Committee is on board with keeping the investment periods short
and liquid. If the feds continue to raise interest rates our strategy is well in place.
Commissioner Sultanof asked Financial Services Director Chapman if he supervised
signatories and Financial Services Director Chapman said all investments are
monitored according to our investment policy, to which this commission subscribed.
One member has difficulty attending the 10:00 a.m. meetings as he is still working.
Commissioner Dressler said he also works and has a problem attending the morning
meetings of the committee, and if we are going to raise the bar and get quality people
on the committee the meetings must be either early in the morning or 6:30 p.m.
Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco said it would be necessary to consider the time element
and frequency of the meetings.
Director of Parks and Recreation Warner spoke of the Parks and Recreation Board and
said it is difficult to get total representation of the community at 4:00 p.m., and this has
been discussed with the committee. The current members like the 4:00 p.m. time as
the majority of the members are retired.
City Manager Miller said when we advertise the Boards and Committees we advertise
the dates and times of the meetings, and if people are working during those hours they
do not apply. City Manager Miller suggested we do not advertise the dates and times of
the meetings, then the Mayor and City Commission could make their appointments and
set the time of the meetings.
Commissioner Dressler said if the Mayor and City Commission and executive staff have
policy making functions and the Boards and Committees need to be open to working
people, we should determine whether to defer to people already serving who may be
inclined to keep the status quo. We should advertise meeting times as 6:00 p.m. or
6:30 p.m. so more people would show up.
Commissioner Sultanof said there are two people who are consistently ill on this Board.
It behooves us to try not to advertise the hours but see if we can attract younger people
who are working part time or have jobs starting later in the evening. The two people
who are unable to attend should be let go.
Vice Mayor Portner suggested going to the schools to ask for volunteers for every
committee so the students can get high school credit.
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Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco said Coral Springs has a junior committee and we can look
into that.
Assistant City Manager Phillips said Coral Springs has several committees with high
school students as members.
Commissioner Atkins -Grad said at a Millennium Middle School event a young High
School student ran the whole show.
Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco said the idea behind this is for people to have pride in
themselves and the committees on which they work for the City. Anybody who serves
on a committee is very valuable. We want to get as many folks of all ages involved as
possible. It is important to keep that in mind. If we need to change the time we will try
to make it as equitable as possible, and for those who can continue, we want them to,
but we also want to make it more available for working people.
Deputy City Manager Cernech said there was a time, not too long ago, where we
advertised Boards and Committees and did not specify the dates and times. Many
people dropped out when they found out the time of the meetings. We need to be more
proactive about changing the times of the meetings.
Commissioner Dressler said many cities bring kids in who offer end user opinions on
the programs. We need diversity on the committees.
Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco said if we do bring in junior or high school students, they
should be Tamarac residents.
Human Resources Director Swanson spoke of the Pension Boards and said they are
running well.
Director of Community Development King said the Planning Board has a good
attendance and the Board is working well.
Vice Mayor Portner asked why there is no Commission Liaison to the Planning Board
and City Manager Miller said the items they discuss are quasi-judicial and if there were
to be a Commission Liaison that person would have the benefit of hearing information
on the items that his/her colleagues would not be privy to.
Commissioner Sultanof said additionally, he was told that elected officials may
intimidate the members of the Board.
Public Information Officer Crockett spoke of the Public Information Committee that is
created by Charter. The focus of this Committee has changed over the years, and with
the publications being put out by the City, it may be necessary to review and reconfigure
the Committee and perhaps the current monthly meetings need to be looked at also.
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Vice Mayor Partner said this Committee is vital to the City and many of the members
have been on the Committee for several years.
Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco suggested another component to the Committee.
Commissioner Dressler suggested sub committees that report to the Public Information
Committee.
Director of Parks and Recreation Warner spoke of the Social Services Board and said
they are working on a community survey for youth and family issues. The Board may
not need to meet every month, and it might be better for them to meet earlier in the
morning. Director of Parks and Recreation Warner said he will bring code revisions to
the Mayor and City Commission at a future date.
Commissioner Sultanof said this Board is functioning well.
Building and Code Compliance Director Jones said the Special Magistrate is similar to
the Code Board and is working well.
Director of Parks and Recreation Warner spoke of the Veterans Affairs Committee and
said they meet as needed. They have good participation and support of the members
for Veterans Day, Memorial Day and the Veterans Assembly.
Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco said if something needs to be changed, it can be
addressed accordingly.
Assistant City Manager Phillips spoke of the City of Character Committee and said Vice
Mayor Portner attended a conference in Oklahoma last year and Tamarac adopted a
resolution affirming the intent to be a City of Character. Vice Mayor Portner had
suggested we look into the formation of a Character Council Advisory Committee, and
Assistant City Manager Phillips said she researched it and is struggling with what this
Committee would accomplish.
Vice Mayor Portner said North Lauderdale is a City of Character, as well as West Palm
Beach. Perhaps someone from those cities can come to Tamarac to discuss what it is
they do. One time Tamarac honored a person for courageousness, and we should find
ways to recognize individuals in Tamarac aside from our employees. Perhaps a
Committee is not the way to go, but we should find people in the community to honor.
Our own characters are involved, for instance, what we do as a commission or staff to
make Tamarac better.
Commissioner Sultanof agreed there are people of character in the City of Tamarac; a
woman who has reached 107 years of age; one of the last Veterans, who has reached
102 years of age; the young man who dove into the canal to save someone. People in
Tamarac have done monumental things and have not been recognized.
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Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco suggested staff come back with recommendations.
Vice Mayor Portner said this is a faith based organization.
Assistant City Manager Phillips spoke of the Education Advisory Board and said she
contacted Parkland, where an ordinance was adopted but the board has not yet met, as
they have no clear goals or objectives. Coral Springs also has several Education
Advisory Boards, which were formed in response to their strategic plan and visioning
objectives.
Commissioner Sultanof said we have no control over the school system or the school
board. We have to depend on our representatives.
Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco said this needs to be explored more and the age of our
residents could be indicative of what we need. This could be a vehicle to get kids
involved with the City and vice versa. This is not curriculum based.
Assistant City Manager Phillips said since Commissioner Atkins -Grad is the school
liaison perhaps it would be good for her to get involved and bring information back to
the Mayor and City Commission regarding potential Boards.
Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco suggested Commissioner Atkins -Grad get in touch with
Coral Springs and go to their meetings and come back to the Mayor and City
Commission with information.
Commissioner Dressler asked what the next step would be after this meeting.
City Manager Miller said staff has the gist of the direction the Mayor and City
Commission wants to go with regard to the Boards and Committees. We will address
this again in the fall after the visioning is completed. The appointments for Boards and
Committees in June will continue.
Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco confirmed changes as a result of this meeting will not take
place until at least the fall.
There being no further business to come before the Mayor and City Commission, Mayor
Flansbaum-Talabisco adjourned the Retreat at 4:55 p.m.
Marion Swenson, CMC
City Clerk
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