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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-09-14 Public hearing proposed FY 05/06 budget City Commission meeting minutes MINUTES OF PUBLIC HEARING PROPOSED FY 05/06 BUDGET DANIA BEACH CITY COMMISSION WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2005 - 7:00 P.M. 1. Call to Order Mayor Castro called the workshop to order at 7:00 p.m. 2. Roll Call Present: Mayor: Anne Castro Vice-Mayor: Patricia Flury—arrived at 7:02 p.m. Commissioners: Bob Anton. John Bertino C.K. McElyea City Manager: Ivan Pato City Attorney: Thomas Ansbro - arrived at 7:02 p.m. City Clerk: Louise Stilson 3. Proposed Millage and Budget 2005/2006 Patricia Varney, Finance Director,presented an overview of the proposed budget: Personal Service (Personnel) IM Pension Plans: funded based on actuary calculation: General Employees: $691,110; Police: $117,054 and Fire: $581,423. Total increase compared to FY 2005 is $265,383 M COLA (citywide): 3.2% based on maximum cap in the General Employee Contract 10 Part-time salaries: 2% decrease due 3 to 4 months of operations at C.W. Thomas Park and P.J. Meli Park prior to construction/renovation 9 10% increase in health insurance (RFP issued in July) 19 10% increase in Worker's Compensation Insurance El Includes In-house Attorney personnel costs El Overall Personal Service increase compared to FY 2005: $1,231,629 (9%) 00 Personnel Complement Changes (not including Program Modifications) Eliminations: Building Official, Plumbing Inspector Transfers: Engineer and Compliance Inspector position from Public Services to Community Development Operating Expenses IM 2% decrease in Property and Liability Insurance 19 BSO, one additional patrol zone effective 1011105 $592,672 ® Grant Matching: $50,000 111 ADA Consultant: $50,000 IM Economic Development $100,000 0 Contract Building Official and other inspection service from the County: $392,000 l9 Elimination of Retainer Contract Service with Weiss Scrota ® Overall Operating Expenses Increase from FY 2005: $125,501 (1%) Other Uses Aid to Private Organizations: $11,000 (Based on Commission action on 1/25/2005, $5,500 will be ear-marked for Area on Aging) General Fund Contingency: $900,000 (to fund for unforeseen circumstances, worker's compensation, rising fuel costs, FPL rate increase, etc.) 13 Fire Reserve remains at FY 2005 level: $156,559, plus interest earnings M Reserve for Comprehensive Plan (3 cents gas tax): $148,000 Capital Outlay EN Very minimal funding. $79,805 compared to $186,392 in FY 2005 and actual for FY 2004 and FY 2005 in the $600,000 to $700,000 range (For list of capital outlay projects refer to page 15) Debt Service EM Debt Service for the new capital improvement projects is approximately $320,000 tFunded Prollram Modifications E3 CRA Director (contract position): $52,000 ED Capital Project Management (contractual): $225,000 03 Laptops for Code/Bldg. Inspectors: $18,990 ES Contract Services—Traffic Planning Project: $175,000 IM Reconfiguration of Office Space in Community Development: $10,500 0 City Planner: $77,241 ® Click to Gov. Software: $2,340 ® 1 Permit Specialist position, eliminate Compliance Inspector: No fiscal impact ® Fire Inspector: No fiscal impact to millage ® Exchange Server: $15,100 El HRMP update on Compensation plan: $4,500 EM Investigative Services: $5,000 19 Administrative Assistant in HR: $24,166 IN July 4 celebration: $15,000 Program Modification Depending Commission Action 0 Contract Aquatic Lifeguard Services: ($190,385) Capital Projects not funded throulih G.O. Bond IM Site #449 Resource Mgmt. & Conceptual Plan: $100,000 0 ADA Transition Plan: $80,300 ® Beach Improvements: $387,500 Minutes of Public Hearing 2 Proposed FY,05/06 Budget Dania Beach City Commission Wednesday, September 14,2005—7:00 p.m. ® M Fire Rescue Vehicles: $150,000 (from Fire Reserve) E3 Public Services Compound: $650,000 ($300,000 from Water and Sewer Funds) M Various parks improvements and recreation center renovation projects, such as C.W. Thomas parking lot repaving, overhang roof on patio areas at Frost Park M Telephone system: $56,990 M Additions and Renovation of City Hall: $1,466,640 Revenue Sources M Misc. Revenues — reduction of approx. $40,000 (a one time fee received in FY 2005 for renewal of Comcast franchise agreement) EM Parking — may experience reduction of beach patrons due to the construction of the Pier restaurant/Beach renourishment project M Pier Lease—loss of revenue for FY 2006 due to construction of Pier Restaurant Does not include budget for Impact Fees as it can only be used for Capital expansion projects Enterprise Fund M Consultant Engineer costs are mainly due to infrastructure projects funded through SRF M Interfund Transfers from Water and Sewer funds to General Fund is $459,995; an increase of$17,693 (4%) M Reserves for Water Fund for SRF Debt Service: $314,450 M Reserves for Sewer Fund for SRF Debt Service: $230,300 FY 2006Proposed Annual Rates M Millage Rate: 6.69 (4.69% increase) M Garbage Rate: $237.67 (1% increase) M Stormwater Rate: $23 per ERU (no increase) M Fire Assessment: $96.64 for residential (2.2% increase) M Water Rate: 12% increase M Sewer Rate: 8% increase Other Sources of Balancing the Budget 15 Water Fund: Retained Earnings: $14,359 Impact Fees: $50,000 E Sewer Fund: Retained Earnings: $82,555 Impact Fees: $50,000 Possible ways to Reduce the Millage Rate ED Appropriate Police Impact Fees for debt service of 803 Building: $33,639 M Reduce reserve for Fire assessment to recoup subsidy to Medical Facilities (highly recommended) M Increase O.L./Permit/Inspection Fees (FY 07) M Contract out Aquatic Lifeguard Services: $190,385 Minutes of Public Hearing 3 Proposed FY 05/06 Budget Dania Beach City Commission Wednesday, September 14,2005—7:00 p.m. • Finance Director Varney advised the Florida League of Cities processed our G.O. Bond yesterday and the rate for our Debt Service is .1764, which is lower than what she proposed in August. 4. Resolution#2005-142 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF DANIA BEACH, FLORIDA, AS REQUIRED BY THE CITY CHARTER AND SECTION 200.065, FLORIDA STATUTES, APPROVING THE PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE NECESSARY TO BE LEVIED FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2005-06 FOR OPERATING PURPOSES; ESTABLISHING THE DEBT MILLAGE APPROVED BY THE ELECTORATE; PROVIDING FOR A PUBLIC HEARING WHEN OBJECTIONS THERETO WILL BE HEARD AND QUESTIONS CONCERNING SAME WILL BE ANSWERED; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; FURTHER, PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. Mayor Castro opened the Public Hearing. Leslie Brown, 153 NW 14th Way, Apt. 3, Dania Beach, commented it looks like we have a lot of reserves. She owns and lives in a triplex and only one third of the property value is exempt on Homestead Exemption which means her property value has increased $72,000 this year and $50,000 last year. She suggested reducing the millage rate. Mike Grady, 4501 SW 42nd Avenue, Dania Beach, asked why the City did not do an RFP for Lifeguard services. He questioned why we did not contact the City of Hollywood, Broward County, or other private companies. Lindsay Harbeck, 18252 NW 15th Court, Pembroke Pines, stated she is here because she understands the Commission has concerns about her integrity. She heard they were asking why she did not put on her City application that she worked for Hallandale Beach. She commented she applied for every beach from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami, and Hallandale hired her on the spot. She had to take a two hundred yard test, unlimited time, and had to take the Jeff Ellis certification. Honey Mulloy, 38 SW 5ih Street, Dania Beach, commented she did not see fringe benefits for City Hall workers in the Budget, and she does not understand why they get car allowances. The Police, Fire and Lifeguards are the three main departments in the City. She thought speed bumps were to be installed on Dania Beach. She remarked the Commissioners should have known the City was going down hill when they ran for election. She implored the Commission to keep the City Lifeguards because we do not want any deaths on Dania Beach. George Glover, 517 S 191h Avenue, Hollywood, commented a lot of residents of Dania Beach spoke last night against privatization of the City Lifeguards and he hopes the Commission was listening. In his opinion, the residents want their experienced and professional Ocean Lifeguards. He thinks it is the elected officials' obligation to do the will of the people and not listening to the people will affect their ability to be reelected. He described his experiences in becoming a lifeguard. He commented the City lifeguards are professionals who are working in a career. Minutes of Public Hearing 4 Proposed FY 05/06 Budget Dania Beach City Commission Wednesday, September 14,2005—7:00 p.m. • Ann Page, 38 SW 51h Street, Dania Beach, asked the Commission to reconsider their decision to privatize the Lifeguards because they are professionals and have done a wonderful job for the City. She commented the majority of cities in Broward County do not offer medical insurance to their Commissioners, and suggested the Commission consider paying for their own medical insurance. She also suggested they consider eliminating pensions for Commissioners because they are here to serve the public; it is not a full-time job. She commented these two areas would help the City save money. Mayor Castro noted she does not participate in the City's medical plan; she participates through her employer and pays out of her pocket. As far as pension, she is on record and offered to sign any kind of agreement the City would like that if she does run again, she will decline the pension of the City of Dania Beach. Brian Carroll, 1350 SE 3`d Avenue, #210, Dania Beach, commented he is amazed at how the Commission looks disinterested with the speakers. He told a story about a surfboard that is under the Lifeguard station on Dania Beach that has been passed down from captain to captain in Dania Beach. He suggested we keep the surfboard and keep the Lifeguard program running because it is the best thing going in Dania Beach. James McCarthy, 1005 W State Road 84, Ft. Lauderdale, represents the United States Lifesaving Association, and is the Beach Safety Director of the SE Region. He has been a Lifeguard for over forty years and was once employed by the City of Dania Beach as Lifeguard Captain. He • told a story of how it was decided to build a Lifeguard tower on Dania Beach, and how it was a mistake for the City. He knows Jeff Ellis and was told by him that they would never go into the ocean because it is not their expertise; they do pools, flat water and amusement parks. He stated he goes around Florida and teaches Firefighters how to keep themselves from drowning. He teaches at the Surf Lifesaving Academy. He commented the Red Cross does not do the ocean; it is different from what Ellis does. In his opinion, Jeff Ellis has failed in Hallandale. He also thinks we need to keep what we have; if we want to outsource, look at Hollywood. Judith Magzamer, 604 NE 2nd Street, Dania Beach, commented she was under the impression that everybody would be complaining about the taxes. They are outrageous and they receive no services. Seeing as there was no one else to speak in favor or opposition, Mayor Castro closed the Public Hearing. City Attorney Ansbro read the title of Resolution#2005-142. Patricia Varney, Director of Finance, advised we need to amend sections three and four on page three because the Debt Service Millage Rate is reduced to .1764. She noted section three should be changed to .1764, and section four should be 6.5664 as the total mills to be levied. Vice-Mayor Flury commented she has Medicare and does not use City health insurance. She remarked we have heard many negative comments about the Jeff Ellis Group. She knows the Minutes of Public Hearing 5 Proposed FY 05/06 Budget Dania Beach City Commission Wednesday, September 14,2005 —7:00 p.m. • City Manager and staff have worked for months doing references on this company and there are many differences between the comments heard and the references we received. She commented last night the City Manager was asked to obtain information for tonight's meeting. City Manager Pato responded the process began in March and was quite extensive. He asked the Fire Chief to come up. He remarked much has been said about the quality of services that the Ellis Group is providing at Hallandale Beach. They got caught up in this activity unfairly and he just noticed the City Manager of Hallandale Beach is here and asked him to address the issue. Vice-Mayor Flury remarked we have heard comments that you are unhappy with the Ellis Group and they are not doing a satisfactory job. Mike Good, City Manager of Hallandale Beach, responded he has read the comments in the newspapers and stated the Hallandale Commission takes the safety of their beach very seriously, and at no time would they jeopardize the safety of their residents or anybody that visits the beach. Two years ago they began having problems retaining Lifeguards, specifically part-time had a turnover ratio that caused a lot of problems. They looked at options to insure that they would have qualified Lifeguards as well as making sure that the safety issues would be met or exceeded the standards they had set for themselves. In the two years since contracting with Jeff Ellis, the City has been very satisfied with the services provided. Safety has been the number one concern for them, but also to their surprise there was a monetary benefit to the city as well. They want to protect the residents in the water, but they also want to protect their tax dollars and they have been able to save several hundred thousand dollars by outsourcing this service. He noted there have been instances in the water where the Lifeguards have saved lives, and that is the benefit and the reason why they hired the Ellis Group. They were hired to protect the beaches and also absorb the liability, which is something as the City Manager, he needs to look at. He stated they have been satisfied with the services rendered, and they have no concerns in regard to it. In fact, the Ellis Group will be with them for another year and he anticipates renegotiating the contract when it is over. Mayor Castro commented some of the questions that came up were the high amount of turnover and an allegation that one of the supervisors is a convicted felon. City Manager Good responded just like any organization, public or private, he is not as concerned about how they perform their services, as much as he is concerned about that they are performing their services. He commented there is turnover for every organization; people learn different skills and move to different things, specifically if they are part-time. It has not been something that has impacted their organization; their residents in general are happy with the Lifeguards they have and that is the telling story. The guards have good communication skills in regard to making sure they talk to the public on a regular basis and advise them of different things that are occurring within the ocean as well as the pool. If there were a problem it would have been brought to his attention, or the attention of the City Commission. He noted the transition period is just that, a transition, and change is difficult for a lot of people. The Ellis Group has the ability to provide advancement opportunities for Lifeguards, not just within the city, but throughout the country. He noted that before making a decision, he sent a staff member to Atlantis, in the Bahamas, to evaluate the service and speak to the management team and they Minutes of Public Hearing 6 Proposed FY 05/06 Budget Dania Beach City Commission Wednesday, September 14,2005—7:00 p.m. were very satisfied. He is not aware of anyone being a convicted felon that works within the city; they do background checks for sexual predators and things of that nature. Commissioner Bertino commented City Manager Good indicated he was not worried about turnover as the City Manager. He remarked, obviously the City Manager wouldn't be worried about if there was a 50% turnover in the Police Department and Fire Department because that would be fine and good for the people of Hallandale. Just as he said he wasn't worried about turnover with the Lifeguards, and he knows that undoubtedly the City Manager has researched this because he is the City Manager, so he realizes the fact that salt water Lifeguards, or Lifeguards in the ocean, take a tremendous amount of preparation in order to do their job; they are very highly skilled individuals,just as the Police and Firefighters. He wonders when the City Manager says he is not particularly worried about the turnover, and not particularly worried about how they do their job just so the job gets done; he thinks this is a cavalier attitude for the top administrative official of a city to have toward its citizens. But, he is in Hallandale, not Dania Beach, so it is Hallandale's problem. He remarked they undoubtedly do a background check and the background check is something that is an administrative thing, so he is sure the press will check and find out if someone is a felon or has a lot of problems, and the City Manager just sat there and said he was not aware of any, so obviously there aren't any, but some allegations have been made. But we can rest assured that the City Manager has made all the checks and there aren't problems there. City Manager Good responded Commissioner Bertino was taking his words out of context. He wanted to make sure he was very clear in regard to how he, addresses things. First, when he says • he is not concerned about turnover, he means that if you understood that as a City Manager and knowing the turnover of the Lifeguards when they had them within their realm, and it was quite a bit of turnover, specifically for part-time employees. He never said turnover was a good thing or bad thing, he was merely pointing out that as a private organization, not a city, because he would be concerned in regards to Police and Fire and other public safety issues, as he is concerned about the beach and the Lifeguards and the safety of the public. But a private organization that has the ability to make sure that they have the Lifeguards available to protect the citizens of their city, because they are large enough to do so, and that was within the reference to which he spoke. It is not that he is worried that they are not going to have somebody there; there is always somebody there; there is not a problem with staffing, or a shortness of staffing, because this organization has the resources that a small organization like Hallandale doesn't have. It wasn't taken in the context of making light of a turnover situation, but more so of the knowledge that they have the resources to be able to have the people there to protect the public on a regular basis. Commissioner Bertino remarked, in other words, a turnover in a private organization is okay with you, but if it were a turnover in your own internal organization it would be bad. He asked City Manager Good if it did not bother him at all to have somebody guarding their beach when the head of that organization stood right here and said if somebody is outside the buoy area and got in trouble, they would let them drown. Minutes of Public Hearing 7 Proposed FY 05/06 Budget Dania Beach City Commission Wednesday,September 14,2005—7:00 p.m. Vice-Mayor Flury interrupted and remarked this is ridiculous. City Manager Good was nice enough to come here and answer questions; he is not on trial; Commissioner Bertino is incredibly rude. Commissioner Bertino remarked he has the right to ask questions and he will ask questions and he wants straight answers. He does not want to be given a bunch of pabulum; he wants to be told the truth. Vice-Mayor Flury remarked that Commissioner Bertino was very rude. Commissioner Bertino remarked he had the floor and wanted to speak. City Manager Good commented if Commissioner Bertino is indicating that he wouldn't provide the truth, he is inaccurate. He stated he came here because their city has been named in regard to this controversy within the City of Dania Beach; he has no agenda whatsoever. For Commissioner Bertino to indicate in any way that he does not care about his organization or the safety of their people, whether it be Police, Fire, private or public, is totally incorrect. His point is that they insure that their beaches are covered and that there are qualified Lifeguards available to meet the expectations of their city. He does not know what Commissioner Bertino's conversation about buoys was, that was his conversation with Ellis, and he was not privy to it. Commissioner Bertino remarked he thought he followed it in the newspaper. He again asked if it did not bother him that he would let someone drown. Mayor Castro interrupted Commissioner Bertino and remarked she does not mind him going on, but asked him to keep the sarcasm to a minimum. Commissioner Bertino responded he would try. He asked if it was not a problem when they talk about qualifications when they have been told by people who work for the Ellis Group that the qualifications and training they receive is considerably less than what all other Lifeguards that do ocean lifeguarding receive. Most of them are certified in a swimming pool, and one indicated he was certified by Ellis and brought out to a tower and wondered what he would do if someone started to drown. He remarked these concerns would bother him. City Manager Good responded he does not have that problem and he does not know what Commissioner Bertino is speaking of. That is not something they have experienced in their city; he stated earlier that they have saved lives. They have not had a drowning or any kind of incident where they could be sued or that someone could have a major loss. The Ellis Group has provided a service that has been able to meet the expectations of their community. Commissioner Bertino remarked he would worry about the quality of the delivery of that service. City Manager Good responded they have, and they checked on it and found it to be satisfactory. Commissioner Bertino remarked they may be satisfactory, but it is not up to par with the other guards that are doing salt water. Minutes of Public Hearing 8 Proposed FY 05/06 Budget Dania Beach City Commission Wednesday, September 14,2005—7:00 p.m. City Manager Good remarked he was not going to argue with Commissioner Bertino. Mayor Castro remarked there are other Commissioners waiting to ask questions. Commissioner Bertino had one more question. He remarked when we talk about the Ellis Group absorbing the liability, he does assume he realizes the fact that it does not absolve them from any type of liability, it's just one more set of pockets for somebody to go after, and that you have the same liability exposure as you had before. City Manager Good responded he understands that as a government they would be sued no matter what happens. He knows the Ellis Group has liability insurance that protects their organization and he thinks that is something of a value to any organization. Commissioner Bertino apologized if he insulted him in any way because it was not his intent. His intent was to get to the bottom of it and make sure the City of Dania Beach has the best possible guards on our ocean. Commissioner Anton commented we all want to provide the best service. He personally thanked City Manager Good for taking the time to come and remarked he did not appreciate him being picked on. He asked what type of complaints he or the City Officials have received, and if it was a significant number. City Manager Good responded they have had very minimal complaints, mostly that they take a break, or other similar complaints. He commented people do not understand what they are training for. He spoke with his Mayor today and she told the newspaper they are very satisfied with the services provided by the Ellis Group. They have been responsive and there is a clause in the agreement where the city can ask to have a guard removed or replaced. Mayor Castro thanked City Manager Good for attending tonight's meeting. City Manager Pato thanked City Manager Good and apologized. Commissioner Bertino remarked to City Manager Pato to never feel it necessary to apologize for him. City Manager Pato asked Fire Chief Ken Land to report on his findings. Fire Chief Ken Land responded he never heard of the Ellis Group until he was asked to assist the City Manager. He noted the Fire Department in Hallandale does not control the lifeguards; they are under Parks and Recreation. A meeting with the City Manager, the HR Director and himself was set up with the supervisor in Hallandale Beach and she answered a lot of questions and told them they had relatively few problems with the Ellis Group. He noted he had been told by the Hallandale Fire Chief that he had not heard of any problems with the Jeff Ellis Group. He contacted other cities and found out that all the cities said that the Ellis Group primarily does • calm water facilities, not beaches. However, they all had compliments for the Jeff Ellis Group Minutes of Public Hearing 9 Proposed FY 05/06 Budget Dania Beach City Commission Wednesday, September 14,2005—7:00 p.m. ® and the job they do patrolling pools, lakes, and resorts. In his research he discovered that the Ellis Group had brought up the standards of calm water lifeguarding throughout the country. He found nothing that concerned him about the organization; everyone had praises for them. Commissioner Anton questioned what training our lifeguards receive. Fire Chief Land responded he did not know. He noted other cities have changed their training from Red Cross to the Jeff Ellis certification for their pools and lakes. Mayor Castro added Broward County uses the Jeff Ellis certification program. Commissioner Anton questioned if there were any insurance issues involved. Mary McDonald, Director of Human Relations and Risk . Management, provided the requirements for pool lifeguards and beach lifeguards. She indicated we had problems filling the full-time vacancy for our Lifeguard position because of our restrictions on benefits; and part- time and on-call positions were difficult to fill. This did not stop us from running the beach, but we did have concerns about the ability to staff it appropriately. She noted our requirements are stricter for beach lifeguards than the Ellis Group. We have no insurance issues,with switching to the Ellis Group from a liability perspective; it does mitigate our liability to an extent; it does not go away, but it becomes shared. She noted we did have an issue last year and the year before with our property insurance; they did not threaten us but we were put on notice that if we did not address the staffing on the beach that we could have insurability issues for our beach in the future. Commissioner McElyea commented he had a lot of respect for our Lifeguards, he has known many of them for a number of years and they have done a wonderful job. He was supporting them but with what has come along he thought Glenn Morris would run the marina until his retirement when we got it back. He thought the $181,000 savings was great. He stated he is not against the men we have. Commissioner Bertino asked Fire Chief Land if we should be concerned for the citizens of Dania Beach if the Ellis Group has minimal first aid training as compared to what we now have. He asked if we should be concerned if there is a drowning and the bridge is up and the City cannot respond and the Lifeguard is only Red Cross trained. Fire Chief Land responded the more training received the better off we would be. City Attorney Ansbro advised we asked Jeff Ellis if his people could have the first responder training and he agreed to it; however, they would not have EMT training. Ms. McDonald noted she asked the same question and was told that our guys may have additional training, but they do not have the equipment out there. She commented education is an advantage but not if they do not have the tools. • Minutes of Public Hearing 10 Proposed FY 05/06 Budget Dania Beach City Commission Wednesday, September 14,2005—7:00 p.m. Glenn Morris advised the Chief has been on scene with him when they had people stop • breathing; they have fully staffed resuscitators; they are all trained; they have an AED; they are totally competent in keeping anyone alive until rescue arrives. He offered to provide a training schedule to the Commissioners. Mayor Castro asked the Commission for a vote to tentatively approve the millage rate. Vice-Mayor Flury motioned to approve Resolution #2005-142, with changes; seconded by Commissioner Bertino. The motion carried on the following 5-0 Roll Call vote: Commissioner Anton Yes Vice-Mayor Flury Yes Commissioner Bertino Yes Mayor Castro Yes Commissioner McElyea Yes 5. Resolution#2005-143 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF DANIA BEACH, FLORIDA, AS REQUIRED BY THE CITY CHARTER AND SECTION 200.065, FLORIDA STATUTES, APPROVING ITS TENTATIVE ANNUAL BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2005-06; PROVIDING FOR A PUBLIC HEARING WHEN OBJECTIONS THERETO WILL BE HEARD AND QUESTIONS CONCERNING SAME WILL BE ANSWERED; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; FURTHER, PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. • City Attorney Ansbro read the title of Resolution #2005-143. Mayor Castro opened the Public Hearing. Mark Ouellette, 1400 Hollywood, advised he has been a Lifeguard for Dania for six years. He remarked they currently are a minimum of first responder; he is a paramedic, and we have three EMTs. He does not understand how we can lower our standards to minimum first aid. He works part-time and has another job, but he has stayed with Dania because they have a good beach patrol. The Lifeguards have stayed because they are loyal and wanted to make our beach patrol the best. He remarked the Commission is lowering the standard of the care provided at the beach. He commented the Ellis Group does not have any ocean facilities other than Hallandale and we should not be his testing ground. Glenn Morris, Captain of the Dania Beach Marine Rescue, reminded everyone that the Lifeguards have been under the direction of the Fire Department during the last year and have been training with them. They have trained with every agency to insure they do the best possible job because they understand that you cannot have enough training. He stated he would not bad mouth Ellis because he respects his ability in pool and water parks. He indicated the Lifeguards have trained the Fire Department in beach rescue. Kathy Lozello, 3736 SE 71h Street, believes the Ellis Group has a place in lifeguarding; it just is not in the ocean. She has seen the City of Hallandale ocean closed on rough ocean days, whereas Dania is open all the time. • Minutes of Public Hearing 11 Proposed FY 05/06 Budget Dania Beach City Commission Wednesday,September 14,2005—7:00 p.m. Linda Malark, 702 NW 8`h Avenue, Dania Beach, mentioned she is a regular voter and taxpayer • and would like to have her money go to something she wants, particularly, the Lifeguards. This is not the area to be cut in the budget. Mike Grady, 4501 SW 42nd Avenue, Dania Beach, again asked why an RFP was not done. He asked why we don't contract with Hollywood, they are ocean certified. He remarked Ellis is not the only show in town. Mayor Castro commented she researched this information and there are two certifications for Lifeguards: Red Cross or Jeff Ellis. She commented the recommendation for contracting with Hollywood was interesting and perhaps we should pursue it before the next Budget Hearing. Commissioner McElyea commented we have two indoor pools and the ocean. He questioned why we did not contract out the pools and keep the beach. George Glover, 517 S 19`h Avenue, Hollywood, Marine Safety Officer with the City of Hollywood, commented the City of Hallandale had their tower closed on Labor Day at 4:00 p.m. because Ellis does not pay overtime. James McCarthy, 1005 W SR 84, Ft. Lauderdale, wanted to provide education about the US Lifesaving Association. It is the sole and exclusive national authority on surf lifesaving; they do the certification on the surf. They are the sole and exclusive authority on it and he does not know why we haven't made contact with them. He will stop by City Hall tomorrow to provide • information to the City Manager. Brian Carroll, 1350 SE 3`d Avenue, Dania Beach, remarked there is an overwhelming support from the citizens to keep the Lifeguards. He asked what it means to have a democracy in Dania Beach. Bethany Gilley of Jeff Ellis and Associates remarked the north tower in Hallandale was closed on Labor Day by the City of Hallandale because a crane used for beach re-nourishment was down during the hurricane. She noted they do pay overtime; it is the law. Seeing as there was no one else to speak in favor or opposition, Mayor Castro closed the Public Hearing. Commissioner Bertino motioned to approve Resolution #2005-143, with a change to return the $181,000 and take the funds from beach improvements and maintain the Lifeguards. The motion died for lack of a second. Vice-Mayor Flury motioned to approve Resolution #2005-143; seconded by Commissioner McElyea. The motion carried on the following 4-1 Roll Call vote: Commissioner Anton Yes Vice-Mayor Flury Yes Commissioner Bertino No Mayor Castro Yes • Commissioner McElyea Yes Minutes of Public Hearing 12 Proposed FY 05/06 Budget Dania Beach City Commission Wednesday, September 14,2005-7:00 p.m. 6. Resolution#2005-144 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF DANIA BEACH, FLORIDA, RELATING TO THE PROVISION OF FIRE RESCUE SERVICES, FACILITIES AND PROGRAMS IN THE CITY OF DANIA BEACH, FLORIDA; REIMPOSING FIRE RESCUE ASSESSMENTS AGAINST ASSESSED PROPERTY LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF DANIA BEACH FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2005; APPROVING THE RATE OF ASSESSMENT; APPROVING THE ASSESSMENT ROLL; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. City Attorney Ansbro read the title of Resolution#2005-144. Mayor Castro opened the Public Hearing. Seeing as there was no one to speak in favor or opposition, she closed the Public Hearing. Vice-Mayor Flury motioned to approve Resolution #2005-144; seconded by Commissioner Anton. The motion carried on the following 5-0 Roll Call vote: Commissioner Anton Yes Vice-Mayor Flury Yes Commissioner Bertino Yes Mayor Castro Yes Commissioner McElyea Yes 7. Resolution #2005-145 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF DANIA BEACH, FLORIDA, RELATING TO THE PROVISION OF SOLID WASTE SERVICE ASSESSMENTS IN THE CITY OF DANIA BEACH, FLORIDA; REIMPOSING SOLID WASTE SERVICE ASSESSMENTS AGAINST ASSESSED PROPERTY LOCATED WITHIN THE GRIFFIN ROAD ANNEXATION AREA AND THE ANNEXED AREA DESCRIBED IN CHAPTER 2000-474, LAWS OF FLORIDA, OF THE CITY OF DANIA BEACH FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2005; APPROVING THE RATE OF ASSESSMENT; APPROVING THE ASSESSMENT ROLL; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. City Attorney Ansbro read the title of Resolution#2005-145. Mayor Castro opened the Public Hearing. Seeing as there was no one to speak in favor or opposition, she closed the Public Hearing. Commissioner Anton motioned to approve Resolution #2005-145; seconded by Vice-Mayor Flury. The motion carried on the following 5-0 Roll Call vote: Commissioner Anton Yes Vice-Mayor Flury Yes Commissioner Bertino Yes Mayor Castro Yes Commissioner McElyea Yes Minutes of Public Hearing 13 Proposed FY 05/06 Budget Dania Beach City Commission Wednesday, September 14,2005—7:00 p.m. • 8. Resolution#2005-146 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF DANIA BEACH, FLORIDA, RELATING TO THE PROVISION OF STORMWATER MANAGEMENT SERVICES IN THE CITY OF DANIA BEACH, FLORIDA; IMPOSING AND REIMPOSING STORMWATER ASSESSMENTS AGAINST PROPERTY LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF DANIA BEACH FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2005; APPROVING THE RATE OF ASSESSMENT;APPROVING THE ASSESSMENT ROLL;AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. City Attorney Ansbro read the title of Resolution #2005-146. Mayor Castro opened the Public Hearing. Seeing as there was no one to speak in favor or opposition, she closed the Public Hearing. Commissioner Anton motioned to approve Resolution #2005-146; seconded by Vice-Mayor Flury. The motion carried on the following 5-0 Roll Call vote: Commissioner Anton Yes Vice-Mayor Flury Yes Commissioner Bertino Yes Mayor Castro Yes Commissioner McElyea Yes 9. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Castro adjourned the Public Hearing at 8:53 p.m. CITY OF DANIA BEACH 0. ATTEST: ANNE CASTRO - 1 MAYOR-COMMISSIONER LOUISE STILSON CITY CLERK Approved: September 27, 2005 Minutes of Public Hearing 14 Proposed FY 05/06 Budget Dania Beach City Commission Wednesday, September 14,2005—7:00 p.m.