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03/20/2023 - Strategic Budget Council Work Session Meeting Minutes March 20, 2023 City of Clearwater Main Library- Council Chambers 100 N. Osceola Avenue Clearwater, FL 33755 m ap ® e Meeting Minutes Monday, March 20, 2023 8:00 AM Special Strategic Budget Work Session Main Library - Council Chambers Council Work Session Page 1 City of Clearwater Council Work Session Meeting Minutes March 20, 2023 Roll Call Present: 5 - Mayor Frank Hibbard, Vice Mayor Kathleen Beckman, Councilmember David Allbritton, Councilmember Mark Bunker and Councilmember Lina Teixeira Also Present: Jennifer Poirrier— Interim City Manager, Michael Delk—Assistant City Manager, David Margolis — City Attorney, Rosemarie Call — City Clerk and Nicole Sprague — Deputy City Clerk. To provide continuity for research, items are listed in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. 1. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 8:00 a.m. 2. City Manager 2.1 Present Baker Tilly's strategic plan document for FY 2023-2025. The City of Clearwater completed a strategic planning process to set direction, focus staff efforts, and provide a framework for monitoring achievement toward adopted goals and priorities. Baker Tilly reviewed input from members of the Clearwater community regarding community strengths, challenges, and areas of focus for future opportunities, as well as their suggestions for what should be included in the City's vision statement and what core values the City should adopt. In addition, the strategic planning process was informed by individual stakeholder interviews conducted by Baker Tilly with the Mayor, each Council member, the city manager, department directors, and other members of the leadership team. The strategic planning process culminated in two workshops for city leadership. The first workshop was held on November 17, 2022. The purpose of this day-long workshop was to gather department heads and the City's executive leadership team to set strategic goals for each department for the upcoming two fiscal years (FY 2022-23 and FY 2023-24). A second day-long strategic planning workshop was held with the Clearwater City Council on December 8, 2022, in the City Council Chambers. Members of the leadership team joined the Council. This strategic planning workshop included a review of the results from the preceding department head workshop and was followed by a discussion to establish citywide priorities, goals, and strategies to guide staff for the next two fiscal years. Lastly, Council and the leadership team worked together to identify success measures for each of the goals and accompanying strategies to ensure accountability and successful implementation of the Strategic Plan. Page 2 City of Clearwater Council Work Session Meeting Minutes March 20, 2023 The process resulted in this 2023 to 2025 Strategic Plan, which emphasizes three priorities with accompanying goals and strategies. The priorities address: • Delivery of Municipal Services, • Economic Development and Housing, and • Community Engagement. The Strategic Plan is supported by vision and mission statements, organizational values, and goals that will focus the collective efforts of staff and direct budgeting and resource decisions. Clearwater's vision statement describes where the organization is heading and expresses an aspirational view of a future desired state: A community that thrives from Bay to Beach. The mission statement describes why the organization exists, its purpose, its reason for being, and clearly articulates the services provided and the desired outcomes: Clearwater is committed to quality, sustainable, cost-effective municipal services that foster and sustain a healthy residential and economic environment. The City Clerk said no action is being requested of Council. Staff is presenting the final deliverable of Baker Tilly. Staff used the document as a jump off point to create the proposed strategic plan (Item 2.2). A comment was made that at some point the document needs to be one that the citizens understand and identify how the plan will be paid for. 2.2 Provide guidance on draft strategic priorities and objectives and department work plan priorities. Per City Council Policy 3-11, Strategic Direction/Planning, prior to the development of the City Manager's budget, the City Council shall meet in a strategic planning session to review the five-year financial forecast and update, as necessary, the City's Vision, Mission, and Strategic Direction. Staff has developed a one-page strategic direction plan and a project list that capture the top priorities identified during Council's strategic direction session facilitated by Baker Tilly. The project list provides the strategic objective, funding status, and lead department. Budget Director Kayleen Kastel reviewed the proposed strategic plan. Discussion ensued with a suggestion made that, under environmental stewardship, to strike the words,"where practical." Page 3 City of Clearwater Council Work Session Meeting Minutes March 20, 2023 In response to questions, Budget Director Kayleen Kastel said the five main priorities are not listed in a hierarchy. There was consensus to strike "where practical."It was suggested to add an objective that addresses the businesses in green industries. The Interim City Manager thanked staff involved in creating the strategic plan being presented today. She said the two mission critical objectives that need to be achieved today are council direction on the strategic plan and to achieve council consensus on the priorities. Staff has tied the work plan to the strategic goals. The work programs and projects are what drive staff results. She said this is a budget exercise where staff ties what we do to why we do it. Once the strategic plan is approved, staffs goal is to discuss the project with Council and build a budget around the priorities. Discussion ensued with concerns expressed with the number of identified projects and the anticipated costs associated with the projects. Discussion ensued regarding the 8.5% general fund reserve policy. It was stated that the City has always maintained a level above the minimum required reserve balance in case of hurricane related damages and that reserves were also used during the FY 08/09 recession instead of raising the millage rate. Finance Director Jay Ravins said the Government Finance Officers Association has a best practice recommendation of a minimum of two month of reserves, which is approximately 16.67%. He said the GFOA also recommends a higher reserve rate if the municipality is located in an area that experiences hurricanes. The City also maintains central insurance fund reserves, which are preserved for self-insurance and are available in case of an emergency. In response to questions, Ms. Kastel said the MSB Renovations project was started a few years ago for new furniture and fixtures for the MSB and PD buildings, currently funded at$2 million. Economic Development and Housing Director Denise Sanderson said the land value for the MSB site is approximately$3.6 million, $5.8 million for office use, and $7.5 (to include the garage) for multi-family housing. City Engineer Tara Kivett said the plan for the new Public Works Complex is to use the current public works site, the complex would be built in three phases to accommodate staff. Staff has not identified other renovation sites. The City Attorney said building the new public works complex at The Landings would Page 4 City of Clearwater Council Work Session Meeting Minutes March 20, 2023 require a referendum because the site would not be maintained or developed as OSR. Ms. Kivett said the project is on pause; staff has drafted a Request for Qualifications for a design firm if Council directs staff to proceed today. There was consensus to proceed with a new city hall. A concern was expressed with cost associated with the new city hall. Mr. Ravins said the reality is there is limited resources and this prioritization is critical to determine what is spent, how it is spent, and if it is significant enough to either raise the millage or issue bonds for. Without Council's priorities, staff will create a funding plan with city hall as the highest priority. In response to questions, Mrs. Poirrier said much of the ADA Compliance work is underway. HR Director Billie Kirkpatrick said as long as the City is working towards the plan the City will be fine, Public Works has begun the rights-of-way plan. The Council recessed from 8:45 a.m. to 8:50 a.m. Mayor Hibbard expressed concerns with the cost associated with the proposed strategic plan and said he was no longer the right leader for this council. He said he could no longer be mayor. He suggested appointing an individual who has no desire running for the office, such as Hoyt Hamilton. Mayor Hibbard departed chamber at 8:54 a.m. Council recessed from 8:54 a.m. to 9:10 a.m. Comments were made that they were saddened to hear the Mayor's comments but the work must go on. In response to questions, Public Utilities Director Rich Gardner said no funds have been set aside for the new public works complex but there are reserve utility funds available for the project. Assistant City Manager Michael Delk said staff was given direction to pursue the Penny Lane Museum, who are anxious to move forward within 60 days. He said a cafe will be included as a component. The Interim City Manager said the contract is being negotiated. Planning and Development Director Gina Clayton said Forward Pinellas funded the Complete Streets study on Drew Page 5 City of Clearwater Council Work Session Meeting Minutes March 20, 2023 Street, not the construction. The City Manager thanked Council for what was achieved today and said staff has direction to build a budget to fund the plan as presented. The Council recessed from 10:47 a.m. to 10:59 a.m. 3. Finance 3.1 Long term financial forecasts for General Fund and major utility funds. Annual review of long-term financial forecasts for the General Fund and the major utility funds, including Water& Sewer, Stormwater, Gas, and Solid Waste & Recycling. Mr. Ravins reviewed the forecast. He said Solid Waste is in a strong position and doing better than forecasted. Clearwater Gas has all excess reserves committed to capital projects and is currently conducting a rate study. 4. City Manager Verbal Reports — None. 5. City Attorney Verbal Reports The City Attorney said he would touch base with the Mayor and confirm his intention before discussing next steps. 6. New Business (items not on the agenda may be brought up asking they be scheduled for subsequent meetings or work sessions in accordance with Rule 1, Paragraph 2). Councilmember Teixeira suggested Council provide direction to the Charter Review Committee at the April 4 council meeting. 7. Closing Comments by Mayor 8. Adjourn The meeting adjourned at 11:11 a.m. Page 6 City of Clearwater