05/11/1976
SrECIAL BUDGET WORK SESSION
May 11, 1976
The City Commission of the City of Clearwater met, in
Special Budget Work Session at the City [all, Tuesday, May
11, 1976, at 9:30 a.m., with the following members present:
Gabriel Caxares Mayor-Commissioner
Karleen F. DeBlaker Commissioner
Karen Martin Commissioner
Darwin S. Frank Commissioner
Also present were:
The Mayor called the meeting to order and led the Pledge
of Allegiance. The City Manager stated the purpose of the
meeting is a midyear budget review with the department direc-
tors and key staff members present. Following the budget
review, a Nominal Group Process workshop will be held to
determine the Commission's priorities for the 1976/77 Budget.
Jeff Butler, Assistant City Manager in charge of the
budget, gave a brief overview and noted compilation of the
department directors project balances for the current year,
line item by line item for the expenditure and revenue items,
resulted in this midyear report.
There were many changes in the distribution of costs on
fringe benefits relating to workmen's compensation and un-
employment compensation. Accumulated salary savings were
used to offset increases in other areas in a department.
The difference of $254,000 in the Charges for Services
revenue projection was accounted for by user fees for tennis
courts and swimming pools not being implemented, and engineer-
ing services not being charged for capital improvement projects.
The Commission commended the department directors for
their budget management.
The Commission reviewed the second quarter expenditure
report by funds and by departments, starting with the major
classification "City Commission-Other Operating Expenses."
The reproduction costs for agenda material created the need
for an adjustment in this account.
Commission requested Service and Information and Community
Relations budget figures be separated from Administration and
also requested a report from the City Attorney on the reason
for the variance in his budget for the first six months.
The variance in the Finance Department was due to en-
cumbered funds for the Peat, Marwick, Mitchell audit report.
The report is now being printed and should be ready within
the next ten days.
The Commission noted variances in the department budgets
were invariably in "Other Operating Expenses."
Utility F id - The Commission noted considerable salary
savings in thr 'irst quarter and that gas sales and gas re-
sale purchase] were up. A decrease in demand and the economy
resulted in a $57,790 deficit in the revenue projection for
gas appliances.
Picot B. Floyd City Manager
Guy L. Kennedy, Jr. Assistant City Attorney
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Bridge revenue collections are substantially higher than
estimated and projected. Commission requested information
on where the surplus is being used. The $112,000 variance
under "Other Expenses" was due to deposit to the Sinking Fund
for Debt Service Payment,
Marina Fund - The $14,000 difference in the Capital
Expenditures was for a Capital Improvement Project (3204D),
repair of the docks at the Marina, and was budgeted in the
Capital Improvements Budget and will be recoded back.
Parking Fund - A large purchase of parking meter parts
accounts for the variance in the "Other Operating Expenses."
All charges for parking lots are not charged to the Parking
Fund but with the new cost accounting capabilities, it will
be possible to tell if the Parking Fund is making money.
Golf Course Fund - Revenue projections for the golf
course were underestimated.
Commission questioned whether any unusual items were
expected to come in within the next six months. The City
Manager replied the budget is a plan that was developed 9 to
12 months ago, and it is possible a major expenditure for an
unanticipated event could happen, but none to his knowledge.
Assistant City Manager Jeff Butler reported the largest
overrun would be in Traffic Engineering for electricity for
the streetlights and there will be an ordinance amendment
forthcoming on the Capital Improvement Budget at a future
Commission meeting.
The Commission suggested possible additional expenses
due to referendum costs and coding election books to classify
City and County residents.
The meeting was recessed and moved to the Conference
Room at 10:35 a.m., and reconvened at 10:45 a.m.
The Mayor called the work session back to order and the
City Manager stated the purpose of this part of the meeting
is to discuss the Commissions prioritiea for next year's
budget (1976177). Each Commissioner was asked to list his
priorities, whether major or minor, existing service or not,
operating or capital improvement project. This is called a
nominal group process and this element of the process is
called silent problem generation.
Phase I - The Commissioners were asked to list their
priorities and then asked one by one to state one of their
priorities. A list of 40 project priorities was posted.
Phase II - To consolidate related items on a second list,
which reduced the original list to 33. The original list was
expanded to 46 items and the consolidated list retained 33
programs and priorities. Commission discussed some priorities
which were not budget items.
Phase III - Each Commissioner was given a packet of 10
cards and asked to list their 10 most important priorities
from List #2 (33 items), one on each card, and then to matk
a 1 on the most important project card, place a 10 on the
least important project, mark the next most important 2, the
next least important 9, and so forth.
The City Manager reported the cards would be tabulated
and an analysis sent to the Commissioners.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:45 p.m.
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