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08/24/2004CITY COUNCIL BUDGET WORK SESSION CITY OF CLEARWATER August 24, 2004 Present: Frank Hibbard Vice-Mayor Hoyt P. Hamilton Councilmember William C. Jonson Councilmember Carlen Petersen Councilmember Absent: Brian J. Aungst Mayor Also present: William B. Horne II City Manager Garry Brumback Assistant City Manager Pamela K. Akin City Attorney Cynthia Goudeau City Clerk Patricia O. Sullivan Board Reporter The Vice-Mayor called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. at City Hall. To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. General Introduction The City Manager thanked the financial management staff for doing a great job on the budget. General Overview Budget Director Tina Wilson reviewed the proposed budget. She said fund totals for FY (Fiscal Year) 2004 were $315-million and for FY 2005 are anticipated to be $341-million. Fund changes: 1) General - $99-million to $103-million; 2) Utility - $101-million to $113-million; 3) Enterprise - $9-million to $10-million; 4) Internal Services - $37-million to $38-million; 5) Special Programs - $19-million to $18-million; and 6) Capital - $50-million to $58-million. New FTE positions are recommended: 1) Solid Waste: a) Solid Waste Equipment Operator and b) Container Maintenance Worker and 2) Stormwater: a) Asset Management Supervisor; b) Supervisor I; c) Storm Line Inspector; d) Heavy Equipment Operator; e) Customer Service Operator; and f) TV Camera Truck Operator. Regarding Utility Fund operations, Solid Waste & Recycling propose increases of less than 1%, due mainly to capital projects which will come forward in the next few months for City Council approval. Due to fuel cost increases and capital projects, the Gas Fund increased by $4-million. Stormwater increases are due to enhanced operations and staffing and capital projects. The Harborview Center does not pay for its own costs. She anticipated the General Fund subsidy will total $317,000 in FY 2005. Operation costs for the Parking Fund are increasing due to the fund’s debt on its parking access control equipment. The Marine & Aviation Fund $200,000 increase includes the cost of inventory, capital projects, and salary and benefit increases. Three of the four Internal Service Funds propose increases of less than 2%. Costs are passed back to users. Staff has implemented cost saving measures to keep costs down. The Central Insurance Fund budget increase of almost 12% reflects the increase in staff medical insurance costs. Capital Improvement Plan costs for FY 2004 are anticipated to be $57.6-million. The 6-year plan is budgeted at $318-million. Capital Improvement plans for FY 2004 include: 1) Recreation Infrastructure: a) $600,000 - Clearwater beach restrooms; b) $400,000 - Long Center Playground; and c) $75,000 - Fuel Tank Replacement; 2) Network Systems; a) $50,000 - IT Disaster Recovery; b) $25,000 - Telecomm Upgrade; c) $75,000 - Finance Systems Upgrades; and d) $130,000 - CIS Upgrades; 3) Stormwater Infrastructure; a) $3.5-million - Stevenson Creek; b) $240,000 - Transfer Yard; c) $2-million - Coastal Basis; d) $2-million - Channel Improvements; e) $400,000 - Coopers Point; and f) $2-million - Allen’s Creek; 4) Gas Infrastructure: a) $350,000 - Gas Inventory System and b) $500,000 - Gas Sales Office; 5) Water Infrastructure: a) Elevated Water Tank Upgrade; b) Telemetry System; c) Water Generators; d) Well Field Expansion; and e) Reverse Osmosis Plant Expansion; 6) Sewer Infrastructure: a) Odor Control Equipment; b) Liquid Disinfection; and c) WPC – Major Repair/ Replacement and Equipment needs; and 7) Solid Waste: 1) $115,000 – Roll-Off Vehicle. Changes to Penny for Pinellas projects include: 1) $1,605,000 – Fire Training/ Administration Facility instead of [$1,605,000] – Main Fire Station and 2) $600,000 – Morningside Recreation Center instead of [$600,000] – Recreation Trails. Ms. Wilson reviewed the City’s financial culture. The City has received budget awards for the last 18 years and accounting awards for the last 24 years. Communication between the Budget and Finance departments is consistent and good. It was stated the City’s array of financial controls minimize financial abuse. Significant pride was expressed regarding staff’s fiduciary management. The first public hearing to approve the budget and Penny for Pinellas changes is scheduled for September 2, 2004. The second public hearing related to the budget is scheduled for September 16, 2004. Open for Council Questions & Discussion Ms. Wilson said expenses related to the six new Stormwater positions have been considered, including additional vehicles. Parks & Recreation Director Kevin Dunbar said the beach restrooms will be removed and replaced, starting in the Pier 60 area. The restrooms will feature new materials and address vandalism, security, and privacy issues. Ms. Wilson said Beach Walk funding from Solid Waste reserves are addressed in the budget summary under fund equity. Staff determined it best to maintain the current Solid Waste rate and use the surplus for needs that occur. Concern was expressed regarding future budgetary hurdles. Ms. Wilson said budget assumptions are conservative. Tax increases or service cuts would have been necessary this year if property tax revenue had not increased so significantly. Ms. Wilson anticipated revenues will continue to increase 3% to 4% annually. Assistant City Manager Garry Brumback said without City investment in redevelopment, property value increases would have been less. He expressed concern increased fuel and construction costs may affect future budgets. In response to a question regarding staff efforts to combat increased Workers Compensation costs, Ms. Wilson said this is the first year of an increase. One incident can impact the rate significantly. Ms. Simmons said the City has an ongoing safety program. Fire Deputy Chief Terry Welker reported the beach fire station will last a few more years before a replacement needs to be budgeted. Mr. Brumback said staff will take advantage of opportunities as they are presented. A new beach fire station could include a parking garage, for example. In response to a question regarding the removal of major apparatus refurbishment from the budget, Deputy Chief Welker said refurbishment is no longer cost effective as the process costs between 60% and 80% of the price of new equipment. Old equipment is put in reserve before it is disposed of. Mr. Brumback said the cost to raze Jack Russell Stadium and the Joe DiMaggio field house is yet to be determined and will be included in the planned RFP (Request for Proposals). Library Director John Szabo said library material costs have increased while the amount of money the City spends on materials has decreased. To meet the need, staff is leasing high demand materials for the short-term. It was requested staff prepare a list of impacts related to the City’s decreased investment in library materials. In response to a question regarding the reduction in the State Grant for bicycle paths, Mr. Dunbar said the City already received those funds. Mr. Brumback said the City dropped plans to enhance the beach on the Courtney Campbell Causeway. Concern was expressed this gateway to the City needs improvement. A list of improvements to that area was reviewed. The City Manager said future opportunities may exist to improve the aesthetics of the treatment plant. The City’s current focus is to implement increased control and regulation of that beach area. In response to a question regarding motorized equipment replacement, Solid Waste/General Services Director Bob Brumback said staff is working to pay less for equipment and be as austere as possible. Current increases are due to the doubling of steel costs. The City is working with USACOE (United States Army Corps of Engineers) for funding for the Stevenson Creek dredging project. City Engineer Mike Quillen said the newest project estimate from USACOE anticipates lower costs. Public Services Director Gary Johnson said a transfer yard upgrade is necessary to handle possibly contaminated material and debris generated by the stormwater system. Gas System Managing Director Chuck Warrington said the work management system in the Gas department’s budget is its share of the asset management system. The department plans to close the gas sales office on Drew Street. A facility closer to the department’s appliance storage will be more efficient and save on rent costs. Mr. Quillen said Clearwater has Citywide aerial photographs produced every four years, but may do that less often in the future. The City is sharing costs with Pinellas County. Mr. Quillen said the Public Works Complex Building is a new project designed to consolidate several City operations, currently scattered among several buildings. The project is scheduled for two years from now. Public Utilities Director Andy Neff said staff is working with Engineering on future plans for connecting newly incorporated areas for sewer service. The City Manager suggested the State eventually will address eliminating enclaves. Mr. Quillen said staff constantly is looking for grant opportunities. Mr. Neff said replacement of the electronic mechanical system in the sand filter building at the northeast WTP (Water Treatment Plant) cannot be delayed and will come forward shortly for City Council approval. Public Works Administrator Mahshid Arasteh said improvements to the Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard/Highland Avenue gateway are bridge dependent. Mr. Quillen said the project has not been designed but will be short-term. Ms. Wilson said parking revenues fund beach operations for guards and beach raking. It was suggested the reserve built up in the Solid Waste fund related to the black barrel rate be shared with City residents. It was indicated residents benefit from improvements to the City’s infrastructure. As fuel and equipment costs have increased, Mr. Brumback recommended against lowering rates until increasing costs are stabilized. Human Resources Director Joe Roseto said the City has received five bids for its health insurance program. Staff is analyzing the bids, which feature increases from 8% to 12%, within the parameters of the budget. Staff will negotiate to try to lower costs. It is anticipated that staff’s recommendation will be presented to the City Council in mid-September. In response to a question regarding the most recent Florida hurricane, Assistant City Manager Brumback said each department has assessed what could be done better next time. Staff is analyzing facilities and trying to refine facility requirements. The City Manager said staff analysis has determined broader concerns exist. Staff will submit to the City Council a list of vulnerabilities and priorities. Equity Services Director Eleanor Breland said the City’s contract with the African American Leadership Council is coming up for renewal. The group plans to move from its current facility into the Martin Luther King Community Center. The $100,000 grant is used for after-school programs. Concern was expressed operating costs for outside consultants have increased for the Planning Department. Planning Director Cyndi Tarapani said increases are related to enclave annexation. She said the $15,000 consultant charge was for advise on certain projects going to the CDB (Community Development Board). The department also needs assistance regarding strategies that need to be implemented for the Downtown plan. Discussion ensued regarding the budget process. The City is doing an outstanding job in holding down costs. Concern was expressed property taxes on commercial property will increase too much for businesses to continue and prosper. Staff was complimented for writing a budget document that was easy to understand. Citizens were encouraged to review the budget on the City’s website. While increased property values helped keep the budget under control, it was noted the City cannot count on values continuing to escalate at the same rate. The need for affordable housing was indicated. Concern was expressed that the City maintain its character and that the City Council determine its vision for the future. The meeting adjourned at 11:13 a.m.