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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994-09-12 Special City Commission Meeting MinutesMayor: Vice Mayor: Commissioners: City Manager: City Attorney: City Clerk: MINUTES DANIA CITY COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING SEPTEMBER L2, A994 Bob Mikes Bobbie Grace John Bertino Bill Hyde Robert Flatley Frank Adler Wanda Mullikin INVOCATION By ROBERT FLATLEY, CITY MANAGER PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL: Present: Absent: Commissioner Jones PUBLIC HEARINGS. 1. Ciry Attorney Adler read the resolution, in its entirery, approving the proposed millage rate for the fiscal year 199+95. Ciry Manager Flatley stated that the budget is a product of a lot of research, a lot of rhought and a long day of budget workshop. He stated that the millage rate would not change, but would stay at 5.98. He stated that the operating budget has been reduced by over $30O,OOO which is almost 1/3 of a million dollars. In spite of a 3.5olo inflation rate last year, we still have come up with a budget that is $300,000 less than the previous year. He stated that there has been a reorganization of the public works/utiliries department being combined under one operation directed by Bud Palm, expansion of fire services to the griffin area which required 10 additional department personnel effeccive December 1, 1994, one additional fire engine, one additional rescue vehicle, all vacant full time positions were frozen, all employees are going ro receive a cosr of living increase effective October 1, 1994, a new beach cleaning machine and vac truck to clean the ciry's LSPECIAL MEETING SEPTEMBER 12, 1994 City Manager Flatley responded to Vice Mayor Grace's question as to the number of employees by stating that the 114 employees did include the 10 additional firefighter/ paramedics. Vice Mayor Grace inquired as to hov/ many firefighters we currently have not including the 10 to be hired in December. Tom Grammer, Fire Chief, responded that we now have 33, and the additional 10 would bring it to 43 including the temporary position that now exisrs. Vice Mayor Grace questioned Chief Grammer as to how many staff officers work directly under him. Chief Grammer responded by stating that there are 2 staff officers under him and 3 line officers. He explained that one staff officer, who is the deputy chiel is in charge of operations and the other one is the division chief in charge of the rescue department. The Line officers are the officers that are on duty 24 hours a day that run the shift. Vice Mayor Grace questioned Chief Grammer as to why we have 3 staff people that are on the same shift. Chief Grammar stated that hasn't changed in 14 years or longer although it needs to be. Vice Mayor Grace stated that she thinks that it needs to be changed. Vice Mayor Grace stated that when we first staned working on the budget, the City Manager proposed a mrllage of 6.22. She asked City Manager Flatley how he arrived at that figure ar that time. City Manager Flatley stated that basically it was a reflection of the 3-7/2o/o inflationary increase. He asked Marie Jabalee, Finance Director to funher explain. Marie stated that the preliminary budget that was presented at workshop called for that millage to bring in that amount of revenue. And then at workshop the commission made their suggestions and reorganizations and it was brought down to a point to where we 2SPECIAL MEEflNG SEPTEMBER L2, 1994 storm drains and sewer laterals, and a BSO contract increase of about 3-l/2 percent from the previous year. Mr. Flatley presented two slides. He explained that the first slide was an employees' levels c&nparison with other cities ofthe Southeastern Broward County coastal areas such as Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood, Deerfield Beach, Pompano and Hallandale. He pointed out that this slide shows the number of empioyees per I,OOO of population. Hallandale has 16.5 employees per 1,000, Pompano has 12.9, Ft. Lauderdale Las r2.7, Hollywood has 10, and Daniahas 6.7. He explained that the 114 employees that we have includes the 10 firefighter,/paramedics that we are hiring December 1st. He stated that we rank one of the lowest in the county in terms of employees per 1,OOO population, which is about as lean as you can get without nor getting any work done. He explained that the next slide reflects the last 5 years of populatiorgrowth in the city. - He pointed out that the city showed a steady level at 13,000 population since 1989,90,97 arr,d92. In lg97 we spiked up to 17,000 and we've held pretty close to that. He pointed our thar the number of employees shown on the graph shows an increase from about 90 to 114 with the 10 new firefighter/paramedici. i{e stated that the last slide shows the millage comparison with the same coastal cities. He stated that Pompano Beach went from 5.3 in 1990 to a proposed 7.5 for 7994-95, Deerfield increased from 5.5 to 5.91, Ft. Lauderdale has increased from 5.2 to 5.7, Hollywood has increased from 5.8 to 6.1 and Hallandale has increased from 5.1to 6.9. He pointed out that Dania has gone from 5.7 to5.9. He stated that he thought the City of Dania's increase is pretry stable compared to the other cities. Mayor Mikes inquired of the City Manager as to when the City of Dania had the highest millage in the County. City Manager Flatley responded that it was 1987-88 that we had the highest millage as well as the highest crime rate. He stated that we are down around sixth or seventh in the Ctunty no* as far as millage and down around fourth or fifth in crime. could keep the millage at 5.98. ri(e had a reduction in the airport litigation and one department was eliminared. Vice Mayor Grace asked if there was an upgrade included for another employee in utilities besides the one re.quested by Bud Palm. City Manager Flatley responded that there was nor. He stated that we are going to talk about the organizational structure of the new public works and utilities deparrments at the worf.shoi scheduled for the 2Oth of September. He stated that whatever was decided is a ieflection of the utilities budget and would not reflec the general fund budget. Vice Mayor Grace asked that if we vote to keep the millage at the 5.98, what upgrades are going to be done for the citizens) City Manager Flatley stated that there is not going ro be a losi of service. -He ielt that we have been very successful in meeting the needs of the citizens and keeping the level of service at an acceptable level. He stated that we haven't had to cut services as of yet. Vice Mayor Grace commented that since $1500 had been included for the Area on Aging and $5,000 to the Dania Chamber Commerce, what rype of contingency fund would it leave if this is approved? Ciry Manager stated that our contingency is now $89,000. Vice Mayor Grace informed the Mayor that representatives from the Child Care Organization would like to make a presentation. The City Anorney explained that this public hearing was for the millage resolution. Vice Mayor Grace stated that she would like to find out whether this millage is going to be beneficial to the citizens of Dania. She stated that we've kept the rnillage the same for rhe last 4 or 5 years but expressed that she did not see a lot of benefim that the citizens have gotten excepr rhe lowering of water and sewer bills. Ve have a lot of paving that needs to be done and there are upgrades that need io be done in the Southeast section. She stated that these were some of things she wanted ro address as part of the budget. She stated that we need to know where we are with the budget and where we're going. She stated that she did not want to see us get into a bind like we did when we started fighting the airpon expansion and all of a sudden we have to end up borrowing money. She felt that we needed to address these things now in case rhis is not sufficient for this year. rVe need to think about upgrading the millage now and not in the middle of the year. City Attorney Adler explained that the commission could not raise the millage above 5.98, that they could only cut it at this point. Mayor Mikes commented that historicaily, we have not spent a lot of money on capital improvements in the city, with the exception ofthe pier, recreadon and some ofthe things we started rolling this year, and a look at where the funds have been going in the city for the last several years, the majoriry ofthe increase in revenues has gone for public safety purposes. City Manager Flatley stated that this makes up about 55 or 600lo of the city's cost. Mayor Mikes opened the public hearing for citizen comment. There being no one to speak, the Mayor closed the public hearing and returned the irem to the commission for action. SPECIAL MEEIING 3 SEPTEMBER L2,Lgg4 The Ciry Anorney reminded the commission that this resolution sets a public hearing for Tuesday, September 27rh at 7:30 p.m. on the millage and that there will also be one for the budget later on. Comrnissioner Hyde made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Bertino, to adopt the resolution setting the millage for the 799495 fiscil year. The motion passed on the following roll call rote: Commissioner Benino - yes Commissioner Hyde - yes Vice Mayor Grace - no Mayor Mikes - yes Item 2. Ciry Attorney Adler read the entire resolution approving the tentative budget for the 199,195 fiscal year. Mayor Mikes stated that the key word for the members of the public here is that this is the tentative adoption ofthe budget and will be finalized on September 27 1994. City Manager Flatley stated that along with that, tomorrow night there will be some items on the regular commission agenda relating to the budget for discussion and on September 2fth there will be a workshop and anyone wanting to discuss any pan of the budget will have an oppoffudty to do so and on September 27th we'll have the second and final hearing. He stated that he thought that the message is very clear that we are not a bureaucracy but we wear many hats, we all work together and there is no fat in this budget. Mayor Mikes stated that this millage also takes into consideration that q/e hang onto that commercial tax base on Federal Highway that the airpon is slated to take. If that 'were to go into condemnation before January lst, that is an additional cut we would have to take in our total budget. Mayor Mikes opened the public hearing to the citizens for comment. Barbara Jones, a board member of the Child Care Connection addressed the commission aod requested that rhe commission contribute $12,617.00 to Child Care Connection which represents Dania's fair share. Mrs. Jones distributed material to the commission explaining how the Child Care Connection works. Vice Mayor Grace stated that our budget is very lean with a real low contingency fund. She stated that it is not going to be feasible for the ciry to contribute the $12,617.00 because we just don't have it. She stated that she would do her utmost to see whether or not money can be found in this budget before it is approved for Child Care Connection, and if not, she would encourage private donations. Commissioner Bertino commented on all the good people that are doing excellent work, but this budget is about as lean as lean can be and if in the eventualiry the airport condemns some of the properry and it comes off our tax rolls, we are going to be taking a look at a shonfall. He stated that he did not think we would be able to do anlthing for them at this point. 4SPECIAL MEETING SEPTEMBER 12, 1994 No one else came forward to speak and Mayor Mikes closed the public hearing and returned the item to the commission for action. A motion was made by Commissioner Hyde, seconded by Commissioner Bertino, to adopt the resoludon approving the budget for the fiscal year 199+95. Commissioner Bertino $ated he hoped some dollars could be found to increase the contingency. The motion passed on the following roll call vote: Commissioner Benino - yes Commissioner Hyde - yes Vice Mayor Grace - no Mayor Mikes - yes fhis Special Adioumod MayonComm Gity Clerk-Auditor 5SPECIAL MEETING SEPTEMBER 12, 1994 !-- -1-