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HOME OF PELICAN fSLAND
SEBASTIAN CITY COUNCIL
MINUTES
SPECIAL MEETING -BUDGET HEARING
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2007 - 6:00 P.M.
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
1225 MAIN STREET, SEBASTIAN, FLORIDA
Mayor Coy called the Special Meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
2. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
3. ROLL CALL
City Council Present:
Mayor Andrea Coy
Vice-Mayor Sal Neglia
Council Member AI Paternoster
Council Member Dale Simchick
Council Member Eugene Wolff
Staff Present:
City Manager, AI Minner
City Attorney, Rich Stringer
City Clerk, Sally Maio
Airport Director, Joe Griffin
Finance Director, Shai Francis
Chief of Police, Jim Davis
Police Lieutenant, Michelle Morris
MIS Systems Analyst, Barry Siepmann
4. CITY MANAGER UPDATE
The City Manager gave a brief power point presentation (see attached), and reported
that the budget is now balanced. He stated the super homestead exemption referendum
will take place on January 29, 2008 and if it passes it would provide up to a 75%
homestead exemption and could mean a $ 1 million reduction for FY 2009 revenues. He
noted the City of Sebastian ad valorem tax represents just over 17% of a property
owner's overall tax bill. He cited early retirement savings of $302,000, elimination of the
fourth cut for Conlon resulting in a $100,000 contingency addition for a total of $225,000
non-departmental contingency fund, which he recommended should remain there. He
said one thing that may affect the contingency fund is dealing with the shortage in
personnel, and though optimistic that the plan in place should work, there could be a
need to use a small portion of the contingency. He discussed the additional police officer
issue and recommended not adding at this time, but if it is Council's wish to increase the
police force, they may want to look at using the $100,000, but again cautioning to leave
the workforce as it is in the face of the possibility of budget cuts for FY 09.
Special City Council Meeting
September 10, 2007
Page Two
5. 1ST PUBLIC HEARING AND ADOPTION OF PROPOSED MILEAGE AND TENTATIVE
FY 2007/2008 BUDGET
A. City Manager Announcement of Proposed Millage Rate of 3.0519 Mills Which is
4.99% Less than Rolled-Back Rate of 3.2121 Mills
The City Manager announced the proposed millage rate of 3.0519 mills.
B. Mayor Opens Public Hearing on Proposed Millage and Tentative Budget
Mayor Coy opened the public hearing at 6:16 p.m.
Damien Gilliams, 1623 US 1, said these are trying times, asked about City Council
budget increase for travel and cell phones and suggested sending one member for travel
who then reports back. He commended the Clerk for budget reductions, however, the
Clerk noted the decrease is due to no election expense in the budget this fiscal year
which will be back in for FY 2009. Mr. Gilliams asked why property valuations
decreased in the CRA district and if we are investing our money properly in the district
so the property values increase. In response to Mr. Gilliams, the City Manager
responded that the City has only annexed approximately 700 acres in the last ten years,
therefore that property should have no real effect on overall numbers. He said in his
opinion, the services provided to new annexed areas do not exceed taxes taken in for
them.
Ed Herlihy, Seagrass Avenue, said he realizes the super homestead exemption may
have an effect on the possibility of hiring four additional police officers as he previously
recommended, and urged the Council to educate the public on the exemption issue and
also to develop a plan to add the four police officers this year, suggesting that the
positions be phased in over the budget year starting in February following the
referendum in January, and if it passes and budget cuts are necessary, they could
freeze the program.
C. Amend Tentative Budget as Council Sees Fit, Recompute Proposed Millage If
Necessary and Publicl rLAnnounce the Percent, If Any, by Which Recomputed
Proposed Millage Exceeds Rolled-Back Rate (Any Recomputed Millage Can Only
Be Decreased and Will Not Exceed Rolled-Back Rate)
Mr. Neglia asked the City Manager if they could try to hire officers as suggested by Mr.
Herlihy, and the City Manager responded they could but that they will be taking away
from the contingency. Mr. Neglia said he would be in favor of waiting until after January
and perhaps we could hire one additional officer.
Mr. Neglia asked, if the Clambake does not go forward, where would special events
expense funds go. The City Manager said the transfer of funds from CRA funds to
general funds for the Clambake will not occur.
2
Special City Council Meeting
September 10, 2007
Page Three
Mr. Paternoster asked if we hired officers this way last year and the City Manager said
we budgeted for two and one-half positions, started to hire, then lost some positions, and
when we saw the budget reductions, we did not continue.
In response to Mr. Paternoster, Chief Davis said the City is currently 27 officers below
the State average of about 3 officers per 1000 population. The City Manager said he will
not recommend additional officers because it is a financial risk at this time. Mr.
Paternoster discussed the uncertainties of the super homestead exemption and the
options that would be provided to individual property owners.
Mr. Paternoster said if you ask business owners, it is said that Sebastian makes you go
through hoops if you want to go into business, and hoped the process can be
streamlined quickly because the more business we have the more revenue there will be.
In response to Mr. Paternoster, the City Manager said Code Enforcement will be down to
one officer this week but we are advertising for another and two positions is what we can
afford.
Mr. Paternoster asked about debt financing for the Main Street/Indian River Drive
Improvement project. The City Manager said as of last Thursday a Supreme Court judge
decided that agencies can no longer bond using tax increment funding without going to
referendum, and since it has been the City's intention to do use this method, other
methods will have to be researched and he will bring back a new recommendation.
Mr. Paternoster said there were. previously 11 staff in the Building Department and now it
is down to six and the City Manager said this is a result of early retirement and reduction
in workforce.
The City Manager said there is approximately $100,000 in contingency to work with and
Council could bring in four officers in stages with that money if the referendum failed, but
cautioned waiting until after January 29, 2008.
Ms. Simchick thanked the City Manager and the staff who took early retirement. She
said that other cities operate under the levels of police officers per 1000 and it varies
from 2 to 3, that she would not want to make promises with that contingency money but
put it on a tickler file and make it an agenda item after the January referendum. She
said the Budget Committee did a wonderful job.
Mr. Wolff asked how many staff were offered the buyout plan and the City Manager said
nine were offered and 6.5 accepted and when we last met four had not yet accepted.
He asked why the City Manager thinks now that he may need money in reserve if staff
may fall behind, and the City Manager said that is because of grumbling he has heard,
and that his office has taken a hard line approach. Mr. Wolff asked how one measures
that staff is overworked and we need to hire more people, and the City Manager said
from the intensity of complaints he receives from department heads, affect on morale,
what goes undone, that it may be grumbling based on change but it may be determined
that he was overly aggressive and will be a wait and see type of thing.
Special City Council Meeting
September 10, 2007
Page Four
In response to Mr. Wolff, the City Manager said the budget is set to eliminate the fourth
Conlon cut which provides the $100,000 contingency. Mr. Wolff asked if the fourth cut
savings was to cover the expense of maintaining the twin ditches, and the City Manager
said he had to get back to Conlon and it would depend on where we're at financially
going down the road. Mr. Wolff asked what the contingency would typically be set aside
for and the City Manager said for example the A/C in the police department evidence
room quits, which costs $20,000 or a mower breaks down and we would go through it if
something catastrophic comes along. Mr. Wolff said setting the special homestead
aside, looking at the economy and outside of raising taxes, asked how else he would
increase personnel and the City Manager you couldn't increase personnel without
raising taxes. He said that 1 mill equates to about $1 million dollars.
Mr. Wolff congratuled Mr. Minner and his staff for this budget.
Mayor Coy also congratulated staff and wished we could add even one more position,
and when we decided to stay with this millage, it eliminated any new officer positions.
She agreed with the tickler following the referendum. She said CRA money will not fund
our police officers, and asked if we could have a CRA officer.
Mayor Coy said Palm Bay was crying the blues about cuts at the FLC conference and
are having to make large cuts like fire stations, stating she was pleased with our budget,
and would hate to hire an officer this year and then tell them next year they do not have
a job. She said she is proud of her City, for three years we have lowered taxes for
property owners except for those whose property assessments went up, but most
properties decreased. She thanked those who took early retirement.
The City Attorney cautioned if a push comes to hire a CRA officer, there are a lot of
hoops that you must jump through, including proving the district is a high crime area.
Mr. Paternoster said he would like to see if we can hire officers as outlined out by the
City Manager. The City Manager said he can come back with a report in February.
MOTION by Mr. Paternoster to amend the budget to include the possibility of incorporating
four additional police officers as outlined by Mr. Minner when he brings the information
back. Mr. Neglia seconded the motion.
Ms. Simchick said she could not go with four officers and would agree with a consensus
to put this in a tickler file. Mr. Wolff said he doesn't have enough details in front of him to
discuss four more police officers and it would require a separate meeting and a lot more
information to determine what it all means. He said we have gotten people to take early
retirement, were not cutting any additional positions and now we are talking about
adding four additional police officers, but is not opposed to looking at it at a later time.
Mayor Coy asked if we approved this now it would put the budget unbalanced. The City
Manager said he did not think it would put it unbalanced, and the motion didn't have a
specific fund.
4
Special City Council Meeting
September 10, 2007
Page Five
The City Manager suggested a motion that Council approve the budget with a mandate
that the City Manager bring back a report in February regarding the potential of hiring
additional police officers."
Mr. Paternoster rescinded his motion and Mr. Neglia agreed.
MOTION by Mr. Paternoster and SECOND by Mr. Neglia to amend the budget to reflect
that come February Mr. Minner comes back with the appropriate numbers to see if and
when and how many police officers we can hire after the referendum.
Mayor Coy clarified one to four officers.
Mr. Neglia said the City must be prepared for the super homestead exemption if it goes
through. He said he has seen other cities cutting insurance for its personnel and its
dependents.
The City Clerk requested clarification that Council is not actually amending the budget
because this is what the motion states, but is actually only giving direction to the City
Manager.
The City Attorney said the motion on the budget will be made under Resolution No.
R-07-35, and explained if Council was actually going to change anything in the budget it
would at this time, have to amend the budget, recalculate the millage and restate the
proposed millage. He said in essence what Council will be doing is they are going to put
an amendment into the resolution, section 3.E. that "the City Manager is directed to bring
back an analysis for adding police officers after February 1, 2008", so really at this point
you haven't amended the budget so we don't need to make that amendment until two
items down on the agenda.
Mayor Coy said we need to get consensus on this and called for a roll call.
The City Clerk again asked the City Attorney since motions are verbatim in the minutes
are we voting on the motion on the floor made by Mr. Paternoster.
The City Attorney said the motion should be "to accept the tentative budget for millage
calculations", and with Mr. Paternoster's indulgence the change will be added during
action on Resolution No. R-07-35.
Roll call on the motion carried 5-0.
D. Adopt RESOLUTION NO. R-07-34 -Proposed Millage Rate for Calendar Year 2007 -
Final Public Hearing and Final Adoption Scheduled for September 19, 2007 (Finance
Director Transmittal, R-07-34, DR420)
Special City Council Meeting
September 10, 2007
Page Six
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SEBASTIAN, INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA, ADOPTING A PROPOSED
MILEAGE RATE OF 3.0519 MILLS FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 2007; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; AND
PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
The City Attorney read Resolution No. R-07-34 by title.
MOTION by Mr. Neglia and SECOND by Mr. Paternoster "so moved" (to adopt Resolution
No. R-07-34 -proposed millage of 3.0519 mills).
Roll call on the motion carried 5-0.
E. Adopt RESOLUTION NO. R-07-35 -Fiscal Year 2007/2008 Tentative Budget -Final
Public Hearing and Final Adoption Scheduled for September 19, 2007 (Finance
Director Transmittal, R-07-35, Schedule "A")
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEBASTIAN, INDIAN RIVER COUNTY,
FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE TENTATIVE BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1,
2007 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2008; MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE PAYMENT OF
OPERATING EXPENSES, CAPITAL EXPENSES, AND FOR THE PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST
PAYMENTS OF THE BOND AND OTHER INDEBTEDNESS OF THE CITY IN THE CITY'S GENERAL
FUND, SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, DEBT SERVICE FUND, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUNDS, GOLF
COURSE FUND, AIRPORT FUND, AND BUILDING DEPARTMENT FUND AS PROVIDED FOR IN
SCHEDULE "A" ATTACHED HERETO, ESTABLISHING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY MANAGER TO
IMPLEMENT THE BUDGET; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; AND
PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
The City Attorney read Resolution No. R-07-25 by title.
In response to Mayor Coy, the City Attorney said he would suggest adding the sentence
to paragraph 3.E. "the City Manager is directed to bring back an analysis for adding
additional police personnel after February 1, 2008".
MOTION by Paternoster and SECOND by Mr. Neglia to adopt Resolution No. R-07-35
as amended.
Roll call on the motion carried 5-0.
Mayor Coy announced that IRCC classes are successfully underway in the old
Schoolhouse; and has clarified with Indian River County that the transfer stations are not
closing as rumored.
6. Being no further business, Mayor Coy adjourned the Special Meeting at 7:15 p.m.
2007 Regular City Council meeting.
A
Sally A. Maio, MMC~/- City Clerk
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