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03/28/1994 CITY COMMISSION STRATEGIC PLANNING/BUDGETING SESSION March 28, 1994 The City Commission of the City of Clearwater met Monday, March 28, 1994, at 9:03 a.m. at the Adler Room in the Main Library with the following members present: Rita Garvey Mayor/Commissioner Arthur X. Deegan Vice-Mayor/Commissioner Fred Thomas Commissioner Sue Berfield Commissioner Richard Fitzgerald Commissioner Also present were: Elizabeth M. Deptula Interim City Manager William C. Baker Acting Assistant City Manager Cynthia E. Goudeau City Clerk Commissioner Deegan asked that the discussion from the last meeting regarding kiosks at the malls be re-addressed. He reported reading in the newsletter from the Florida Innovation Group regarding Hillsborough County having centers at malls. Mayor Garvey indicated that while she agreed with doing an experiment at the Gas Sales Office to be opened on Drew Street, her problem with malls was that they were so cluttered that no one would be able to find the kiosks. Commissioner Deegan indicated the mall idea was due to the traffic there. He agreed with trying this in the gas sales office, but was concerned unless an individual was going there they would not be provided services. He suggested staff look at this as a long-range project and build it into the budget. Ms. Deptula recommended approaching the County, Dunedin and other surrounding municipalities to see if there would be a willingness to share in staffing and funding for this project. Commissioner Thomas stated that what could be done right away for the least amount of money was to install an information or a services component in the gas sales office. Commissioner Deegan also stated he would also like to have it as a city goal to win a government steering award. Ms. Deptula stated she would obtain the parameters for applying. Mayor Garvey suggested there should be press coverage regarding the budget and financial statement awards the city receives. Commissioner Thomas questioned whether or not we had a public relations department. It was indicated that we did not, as such. Ms. Deptula indicated she could make this a high priority for the next year. Commissioner Deegan indicated when the Commission met with Ruth Ann Bramson there was support for a public relations specialist, not just video. He stated he would like to see a public relations person in the budget. Commissioner Thomas indicated this would be more than just information and that it would be articulated, planned, public relations. Ms. Deptula questioned if the Commission wanted this to be a department. It was indicated that would be up to the City Manager but there was a desire to have more of a public relations effort. Kathy Rice, Deputy City Manager, arrived. She indicated the staff had just received a call from Jim Massie, the City's lobbyist with the State Legislature, regarding the bill that police officers must be used for traffic control. She stated he is requesting a letter from the City opposing the bill as written. It was the consensus of the Commission for Ms. Rice to have the letter drafted and bring it back to the Commissioners for their signature prior to the end of the meeting today. Commissioner Deegan questioned if an incentive program could be built into the budget. Mayor Garvey questioned whether or not this was bargainable. Commissioner Deegan stated the contracts allow for performance standards and programs and believed an incentive program is covered by that language. Ms. Deptula indicated Ms. Rice will be assuring that language regarding incentive programs is included in the contracts that are coming up for negotiation. She stated she understands this is a priority for the Commission and that while the program may begin next year the budget impact would probably not be felt until the next fiscal year. Commissioner Thomas stated he would like to see a long term program that puts money saved in an escrow account with the savings being paid out three years later; one-third of the savings going to the employees and two-thirds going back to the citizens as a rebate. Regarding the police and the public safety priorities, staff will be coming back with recommendations. Commissioner Thomas requested there be an analysis of creating a new district for the central area of the city. Ms. Deptula indicated this would be part of the whole study of the management structure. Ms. Deptula indicated she had heard from the individual the city had been attempting to recruit as the Economic Development Director. The individual has turned down the offer and she is now back to square one. She stated she needs an individual with community development block grant and economic development skills. Commissioner Thomas suggested an ad that provided a better description of the job be used. Commissioner Deegan emphasized he wanted this position to report directly to the City Manager. Ms. Deptula indicated this was the plan. Commissioner Thomas expressed concerns that the value of the city continues to decline. He stated the city needs to be redeveloped. He recommended the City Manager collect the appropriate staff to address the economic development program. He expressed concern there is too much land owned by the City and staff needs to determine the best use for that property. He felt that the City could be its own developer. He wanted property placed back on the tax roll. He did not want economic development to be placed on the back burner until such time as an economic development director is hired. Commissioner Fitzgerald questioned if we had any idea regarding how significant is the erosion of property values. Commissioner Deegan stated property values were down .2 percent. Commissioner Thomas indicated that .5 percent decline had been projected for the next five years. Ms. Deptula indicated she would be getting figures in early May. She stated the constitutional cap on the increase of values will impact the city. She stated one of the 30-90 day action plans had included each department identifying an activity that would attract and maintain businesses. She stated the Commission also need to decide on incentives to be offered. Mayor Garvey stated the 30-60 action plans were suggestions by staff to which the Commission had not formally agreed. Ms. Deptula agreed these were staff recommendations. Commissioner Deegan expressed concerns regarding in several places of the proposed action plan the central permitting director has been assigned the responsibility for the economic development plan. He felt this was inappropriate. He also expressed concern regarding staff pursuing design of a downtown lake. He said the design was not to be pursued but a feasibility study. Mr. Baker indicated that it was a poor choice of words and staff was not designing the lake but was doing a feasibility study. Commissioner Deegan agreed the Commission needed to decide on incentives for development and creation of jobs. Ms. Deptula indicated staff will return to the Commission with recommendations by August 30th. Commissioner Deegan stated negotiations were currently underway that could not wait for August 30th. Commissioner Fitzgerald indicated he did not agree with incentives, he felt redevelopment should pay for itself. He stated locations that have used incentives are finding out they do not work. He stated he did not agree with the incentives provided Stein Mart. Commissioner Deegan stated that is the reason the Commission needs to develop what incentives they will allow staff to use. Ms. Deptula indicated Peter Gozza, the CRA Executive Director, Alan Ferri, the Community Development Director, and Scott Shuford, the Central Permitting Director, would work together in light of there being no Economic Development Director. She stated they do need parameters under which to work. Commissioner Thomas suggested that on a short term basis Mr. Gozza be assigned the responsibility of economic development. Commissioner Fitzgerald and Mayor Garvey did not agree as he was the Community Redevelopment Agency Director. Commissioner Thomas stated that he did not like the incentives used in the state programs. He felt incentives providing infrastructure would be better. He stated the city needed to develop parking areas in the Greenwood and Myrtle areas and build a monorail that would take people to the beach. Mayor Garvey expressed concerns that this would take property off the tax roll. Commissioner Thomas stated the waterfront is five times more valuable than any other areas in the city and that use of that property would pay for such things as parking, roads, monorails, etc. Commissioner Berfield suggested incentives be considered at a separate meeting. It was the consensus that this would be done in early May. Mayor Garvey expressed concerns that once the incentives were established the developers would assume they would automatically get them. Commissioner Deegan suggested the list not be what would be offered but a list of things that would not be considered. Anything not on the list could be considered on a case by case basis. Ms. Deptula indicated she would also like to have the incentives tied to the employment of local residents. Commissioner Thomas stated if Clearwater could become a place known to do business with business, businesses would be beating on the door. He stated the perception that Clearwater is not business friendly needs to be changed. Commissioner Deegan requested "develop a helpful business climate" be added to the economic development budget priority. Commissioner Deegan stated two other issues from the community consensus which need to be addressed regard selling surplus city property and hiring a grant writer. These were mentioned as ways of providing funding for services. Ms. Deptula indicated almost every grant requires specific skills and it may be better to have firms specializing in this area on retainer rather than an additional staff person. Commissioner Thomas stated regarding city property, in the next 3-5 years, staff should figure out to where city facilities could be moved in order to more effectively use property and provide property that could be placed back on the tax roll. Commissioner Deegan agreed that as offers are presented to the city for any city owned property they should be brought forward to the Commission. Commissioner Deegan also requested that a budget priority should be a carry over from the last fiscal year regarding the emphasis on the redevelopment of the North Ft. Harrison/North Myrtle corridor. Commissioner Thomas questioned where staff stood regarding the removal of 100 dilapidated buildings. Ms. Deptula indicated they were on target. Commissioner Fitzgerald requested adopting meaningful annexation incentives be addressed. He stated the state legislature has impacted the ability to do this. Commissioner Thomas suggested a study be done regarding providing sewer to enclaves on a fee basis. Concern was expressed that the provision of sanitary sewer was one of the few avenues left to the city to encourage annexation. Ms. Deptula said this would be brought forward after discussion of economic incentives. Commissioner Thomas suggested looking at all fee based activities that could be provided to the enclaves. Commissioner Deegan suggested the discussion has pointed out the need for a new heading for infrastructure. He stated the Beach Blue Ribbon Task Force recommended a garage on the beach be considered and infrastructure needed to include the city helping the county regarding the location of Alternate 19 and Pinellas Trail. The water reuse program was also mentioned as an addition to infrastructure. Commissioner Thomas stated the most valuable piece of property on the beach is between Marianne and Baymont. He suggested Poinsetta be made five lanes and do away with two of the streets to totally change how that property is used. He suggested a boardwalk on the waterfront and that hotels be allowed to go up in the air allowing 50 percent open space. He stated that this property was the second most desirable property for development with the Bluff being the first. He stated this is a long range point of view. Commissioner Deegan pointed out a sketch of this proposal had been included in the Beach Blue Ribbon Task Force report. Mayor Garvey questioned this being something the city should do. Commissioner Thomas stated it should be a partnership with the private owners. Mayor Garvey suggested the ownership be combined and that they come forward with a plan to the city. Commissioner Deegan felt the city should come up with the vision and then encourage its implementation. Commissioner Fitzgerald pointed out that several years ago there had been an economic development task force from the Chamber that had provided a lengthy study. He requested a copy of it be provided to the Commission. Commissioner Thomas stated that he would like to see the Commission more aggressive in bringing forward a resolution on the Pinellas Trail. He stated if the Commission does not put it on the front burner and make it a priority issue it will not be resolved. The Commission recessed from 10:35 to 10:45 a.m. The Commission reviewed the strategy for actions produced by the city staff. Commissioner Thomas expressed concern regarding the stormwater issue and the Commission's decision to divert money from the stormwater fee to pay for work the general fund had paid for in the past. Commissioner Fitzgerald stated that he felt the Commission had made the right decision in breaking out the funding as all things put in the stormwater fee related to stormwater. The Mayor agreed. Mr. Baker stated drainage projects had been funded through the general fund. Some of the drainage matters were taken out of the general fund and put in the stormwater as well as enhanced ditch cleaning. Commissioner Fitzgerald and Mayor Garvey agreed that what was removed from the general fund and placed in the stormwater utility related to stormwater quality. Commissioner Thomas stated the point was that whatever the city had been doing from the general fund should not have been removed from the general fund. Commissioner Fitzgerald indicated the efforts had increased dramatically. Commissioner Thomas said the increase could be from the stormwater utility but what had been paid for by the general fund should have remained in the general fund. Mayor Garvey stated this would have increased the property tax. Commissioner Thomas felt information to the public had been falsified regarding the tax revenue in that it has been stated there was no increase in taxes. He stated the fees were raised instead. He felt the city had used a subterfuge regarding the stormwater fee. Commissioner Fitzgerald stated there was not a subterfuge but they had simply put the stormwater and drainage issues together in a logical manner. He stated there would be no benefit to putting it in the general fund. Commissioner Berfield stated that she remembered that part of the reason was not to increase the millage. She stated she does remember a lot of argument regarding the rate to be charged. Commissioner Thomas stated the public was sold on the fee as a way to improve water quality. He felt whatever was new would come from the fee and whatever had been funded from the general fund previously should still be in the general fund. Commissioner Deegan stated in recalling the discussion, the fee was for the planning and implementation of stormwater management programs. He stated the decision was to use the fund for drainage as well and there was no miscommunication to the public. He felt there would be more damage to go back now and change. Consensus of the Commission was to not return these funds to the general fund. Commissioner Deegan expressed concerns regarding the action to require specifications for vehicles to include natural gas fuels. He stated we keep awarding bids to those who do not offer it. Ms. Deptula indicated that General Motors is the only company that does offer it and they are $6,000-$7,000 higher than a standard vehicle. She stated it is proposed to purchase these types of vehicles when Gas Division vehicles are obtained. Commissioner Deegan expressed concern that the provision of the alternative fuel is in the specifications and therefore the low bids do not meet the specifications. It was indicated that the alternate fuel vehicles are an alternate bid not a requirement. Commissioner Thomas felt the City needed to take a leadership role in using natural gas vehicles. He said he would like to see a policy that a certain percentage of the small engine fleet be natural gas. It was stated that this will be done in the Gas Division first. Commissioner Deegan pointed out that Neighborly Senior Services has been using natural gas engines for eight years. In response to a question, he indicated they are fueled at Kenyon and Swanson Dodge. It was the consensus that staff would pursue the use of natural gas vehicles in the Gas Division and come back with a recommendation regarding the percentage of the remainder of the fleet to be fueled with natural gas. Commissioner Fitzgerald questioned if the Commission agreed there should be no financial incentives for an Adopt-a-Street or Adopt-a-Beach program. It was agreed this was the Commission's consensus. Commissioner Deegan expressed concern regarding the proposal that Dan Katsiyiannis be the city employee to audit current city procedures. He was uncertain Mr. Katsiyiannis was the appropriate person. Ms. Deptula indicated Mr. Katsiyiannis, in performing his audits, looked at everything from financial and productivity angles. Mayor Garvey questioned if Ms. Deptula thought he had the skills necessary. Ms. Deptula indicated, that in the absence of hiring someone, Mr. Katsiyiannis was the best qualified. It was the consensus of the Commission that this would be left up to Ms. Deptula's judgment and this is a high priority to the Commission. Commissioner Berfield questioned if this would result in eliminating unnecessary positions and Ms. Deptula indicated it would. Commissioner Fitzgerald questioned if it was a foregone conclusion that the receipt and referral procedure would be eliminated. Ms. Deptula indicated this would come back for a Commission decision. Commissioner Deegan questioned how large the community response team would become if the police technicians were added to it. Ms. Deptula indicated that while this is a high priority issue the final structure had not been determined. She indicated other city employees are being used, such as the meter readers doing a city sweep regarding street addresses on structures. Commissioner Thomas indicated there is a tremendous number of volunteers in the neighborhoods and that code enforcement could be enhanced by broadening the neighborhood watch program. Concerns were expressed this would put neighbor against neighbor. Commissioner Deegan questioned what the plan to reinitiate the five-year civilianization plan for the Police Department referred to. It was indicated the Police Department had previously implemented a civilianization plan which placed non-sworn personnel in certain positions thereby allowing more officers to be on the street. It was indicated this program was a five-year program that was pursued for three years and then discontinued. Commissioner Deegan expressed concerns that this would indicate an increase in personnel in the Police Department. Ms. Deptula indicated that Police Chief has been told that this is not the case. Discussion ensued regarding the training in the Police Department. Commissioner Thomas expressed concerns that the City of Clearwater pays for individuals going to the Police Academy. Ms. Deptula indicated this is being looked at. Commissioner Fitzgerald emphasized he does not want to see an increase in the number of employees in the Police Department. Regarding the proposed action to judiciously hire a consultant, Commissioner Thomas indicated the report provided did not consolidate the use of consultants, in that one consultant could be listed ten or fifteen times. Ms. Deptula indicated additional analysis is going to be provided regarding that report. Regarding the proposal to create a "czar" over all development and redevelopment in the city, Commissioner Deegan requested the Economic Development Director be added. Ms. Deptula indicated this would be done. Commissioner Deegan also asked that in the action for setting customer service standards that this also include the customer service measures. He questioned regarding the action planned to cross-train workers in management; whether this would mean scaling back the organization. Ms. Deptula indicated it was hoped so but this was also addressing such things as video orientation, etc. It was the consensus of the Commission that wherever in the action plan the economic development plan was mentioned, the Economic Development Director be added. Regarding the action to market the economic development packages, Commissioner Deegan stated marketing plans were needed for more than economic development. He stated the City of Clearwater does not market its ideas well. Commissioner Deegan expressed concerns that there was a lot being expected to come from the economic development plan. He wanted to make sure the City was not expecting too much. Commissioner Fitzgerald questioned the action plan for providing business information packet and whether or not that would include the whole city and not just downtown. It was indicated it would. Commissioner Deegan questioned the plan to create a local development corporation by September 30th. Ms. Deptula indicated the action was to bring back a recommendation by that date. Commissioner Deegan inquired what was to be assigned to the departments regarding permitting simplicity and available properties. Ms. Deptula indicated that each department was to identify available properties. Commissioner Fitzgerald questioned the meaning of the plan to hold city-sponsored business activities twice annually. Ms. Deptula indicated her plan was to target some community meetings to businesses. Commissioner Thomas expressed disappointment in the Chamber's response to being assigned the "Welcome Back Phillies" event. He stated it had been requested this be made a city-wide event and this did not occur. He stated the Commission needed to meet with the Chamber to determine whether or not they were going to take a leadership role. Commissioner Deegan expressed concern regarding the staff response to the plan to promote juvenile education through schools. The response in the report is that this is already being done through the "Officer Friendly" and School Resource Officer programs. He felt that Commission has to review their programs and there are other issues such as gang activity, graffiti, and crime that needed to be addressed. Commissioner Fitzgerald agreed the response was not appropriate. Ms. Deptula indicated she was going to propose the additional funds left over from the '93 summer youth program be used to challenge the departments to implement summer programs that would target the youth. Commissioner Thomas stated he was unhappy with the school system and how they address juvenile problems. He stated he would like to take a more proactive role in the education of children. He recommended enhancing the "Officer Friendly" program. Commissioner Berfield stated there were a lot of programs available to youth during the daytime hours but there needed to be more evening activities. Ms. Deptula indicated the activities needed to be city wide. Commissioner Thomas stated he would like to go through a strategic planning session with the City Attorney. The letter regarding the traffic enforcement bill is provided to the Commission. The consensus was to approve it and they all signed. Ms. Deptula questioned the Commission's direction regarding holding a public hearing on Dunedin Pass. Consensus was to hold a special public hearing at 6:00 p.m. on April 25th. Commissioner Deegan stated he would like to provide direction that the millage be held at its current rate and the number of employees be reduced. Mayor Garvey and Commissioner Thomas felt it was premature to provide this direction. Commissioner Fitzgerald stated he would like to hold the line on the millage and hold personnel at the current level. Commissioner Thomas stated it was improper to indicate a millage rate at this time as the City Manager needs to bring back alternatives and their impacts. The meeting adjourned at 12:10 p.m.