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02/25/2025 Council Work Session Meeting Minutes February 25, 2025 City of Clearwater Main Library- Council Chambers 100 N. Osceola Avenue Clearwater, FL 33755 e Meeting Minutes Tuesday, February 25, 2025 9:00 AM Strategic Planning Work Session Morningside Recreation Complex, 2400 Harn Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33764 Council Work Session Page 1 City of Clearwater Council Work Session Meeting Minutes February 25, 2025 Roll Call Present 5 - Mayor Bruce Rector, Vice Mayor David Allbritton, Councilmember Ryan Cotton, Councilmember Michael Mannino, and Councilmember Lina Teixeira Also Present: Jennifer Poirrier— City Manager, Daniel Slaughter—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— Mayor Rector The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. 2. Presentations 2.1 Review guidance from strategic planning workshop held on January 30, 2025 and build on those discussions. Council held a strategic planning work session on January 30, 2025, to review the strategic plan, long term financial forecasts of major funds, and discuss strategies for budget planning led by facilitators Hal Beardall and Rafael Montalvo from the FCRC Consensus Center at Florida State University. This meeting is held to review the first workshop and further build on those discussions. • Welcome - Hal Beardall and Rafael Montalvo from the FCRC Consensus Center at Florida State University • Principles • Tools and Strategies • Additional Guidance • Next Steps FCRC Consensus Center at Florida State University representatives Hal Beardall and Rafael Montalvo reviewed the meeting agenda. Mr. Beardall said the intent is to build off the last work session, discussing principles that emerged during the last session, prioritize those principles, and discuss potential strategies staff can use in the budget process. Mr. Montalvo said the following principles emerged during the last work session: Page 2 City of Clearwater Council Work Session Meeting Minutes February 25, 2025 * Consider the pattern of city investment in different areas of the over time, *Ensure needs are addressed, *Maintain a balance of needs and quality of life projects and programs, *Include projects that will enhance revenue in the future, * Take care of what we have first, *Maintain target levels of reserves, and *Avoid millage increases in budget forecasts. Discussion ensued with comments made that the donation made by Frenchy's for the pickleball courts at McKay Park is an example of the type of community participation needed and that all areas of the city should be considered when prioritizing budgeting decisions. In response to questions, the City Manager said staff uses a point system to prioritize projects, which also includes legislatively mandated projects. Staff has met with a firm to look at other ways staff can prioritize projects. Staff uses the following criteria to prioritize projects: regulatory compliance, alignment with city strategic plan, public perception/public relations, level of service, operating efficiency of the city, maintenance and cost, safety and security, risk, return on investment, and scale/magnitude. In order to compete and be eligible for the FGFOA Budget Award, which the City continues to receive, a budget forecast is required. She said the longer the forecast goes out, more points are awarded. Staff was requested to provide the list of 147 projects identified in the CIP for the next seven years. There was consensus to prioritize the principles in the following order. High: Ensure needs are addressed. Medium: Avoid millage increases in out years (years 8, 9, and 10) of current budget projects, maintain target levels of reserves, include projects that will enhance revenue in the future, and maintain a balance of needs and quality of life projects and programs. Lower. Consider the pattern of city investment in different areas of the city over time and take care of what we have first. Discussion ensued regarding the strategies with strong support expressed for Strategy 1 (Allow the use of reserves for one-time capital costs if needed to avoid service level cuts Page 3 City of Clearwater Council Work Session Meeting Minutes February 25, 2025 and/or millage increases in the current budget year, as long as minimum required levels of reserves are met). A majority of Council supported Strategy 2 (Allow for small millage increases in the out years of budget projections, if needed to meet goals, If this is done, continue looking for ways to avoid the millage increase in the intervening years). There was strong support for Strategy 3 (Allow the City to cover greater percentage of costs for some facilities and programs from fees). In response to questions, Finance Director Jay Ravins said the required reserve balance is 8.5% for the general fund. The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) recommends a minimum 16.7% as a best practice, with higher rates for those in hurricane prone areas. Clearwater is unique in that it has a central insurance fund that has a significant level of reserves that supplements the general fund reserves. He said the reserve balance has been typically at 20%. He said the City requires a 15% reserve for its utility funds and 25% for all other enterprise funds and general service funds. When it comes to the bond rating agencies, Clearwater exceeds what is needed for a AAA rating. The City Manager said the ten-year forecast identifies how much general fund reserves are needed annually to balance the budget. City policy allows the use of reserve funds for one-time expenses. Discussion ensued with consensus that staff should strive to maintain the GFOA recommended reserve rate of 16.7%, and that marketing opportunities for private sponsorships or donations for city facilities or events be outsourced to a third party. A concern was expressed regarding the proposed budget cuts to Ruth Eckerd Hall and the Clearwater Jazz Festival. It was suggested that consideration be given to providing Clearwater Jazz Festival with a multi-year agreement. 3. Adjourn The meeting adjourned at 11:53 a.m. Page 4 City of Clearwater