Loading...
12-04-1991 - Special/Workshop '-' ....", CITY COUNCIL OF EDGEWATER SPECIAL MEETING/WORKSHOP DECEMBER 4, 1991 MINUTES Mayor Wessler called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. in the Community Center and briefly recessed the meeting to await copies of information provided by the City Manager. The meeting was called for action regarding priorities for City Manager, City Attorney, and staff. ROLL CALL Mayor Tanya Wessler Councilman Kirk Jones Councilperson Louise Martin Councilperson NoraJane Gillespie Councilman Michael Hays City Attorney Krista Storey City Manager George McMahon City Clerk Susan Wadsworth Police Chief Lawrence Schumaker Present Present Present Present Arrived at 4:04 p.m. Present Present Present Present Mayor Wessler called the meeting back to order at 4:05 p.m. and had a second roll call. All City Department Heads were also present. Mayor Wessler requested Council input on problem and important areas, noting they'll be giving the City Manager directions for staff. She stated she called this meeting because it seemed like nobody was communicating with each other and when something comes up at a Council meeting they say it will be done and there was no follow up done. She referred to an incident last week and said they need to cut out red tape and move forward. She said if there's a problem with the County, rather than sit on it, they shou 1 d te 11 the City Manager and he'll contact someone on Counci 1 and they'll try to expedite it. She stated it's embarrassing to get a telephone call about the status of something and it's the same as it was last month. She said they need to call and see who owns Roberts Road and find out who to talk with because they've been waiting since March, 1990, to see who owns that road. She stated staff has to continue trying to work with the County and then go to the City Manager and he'll talk to Council members and they'll go to the County. She noted Mr. Beckman has spoken at the last two meetings about the flooding problem and she talked to the County and nobody from staff has contacted them but she doesn't fee 1 that's her job. She added if political help is needed, they'll do that. She stated the four issues on the interlocal agreement were not that much of a stumbling block. Mayor Wessler stated she has a problem with enforcement and they need to make it user friendly. She said people act like they're doing someone a favor working here and if we don't get more businesses and public impression is better, jobs will have to be cut back. She said they had an instance with a person who lives in the City and works here and it's our job to cooperate and make things easy for him. She stated people come to Building, Planning and Zoning, and Fire Departments and they're not treated the way they should be. She said we tell them they cannot do something when they come through the door but if there's not a State Statute and it can be worked out, then what we should do is work with these people. She noted taxes for residents will have to go up and staff members that have trouble dealing with people need to work on that. She said she's called City Hall and the telephone rings and rings and after it rang 7 times they told her to call another number when it could be connected. She said businesses look at coming to Edgewater and this puts out a bad image. She stated these employees work for the residents and they're not doing a favor by working here. She said some departments have a lot of complaints. She stated if someone sees something that needs to be changed and it can only be changed by Council, it should be given to Council. She said perhaps there are some areas in public works that could be changed to make it a better, nicer place for the residents. Councilperson Gillespie stated she had problems with people getting cited for trash and code inspection but public works coordinated it with public works tagging it and then code enforcement knows they paid and it will be picked up. She said she didn't know they give a free pick up when people move here and they should get the message to the publ ic and anyway to make 1 ife better and affordable and within our means is up to all of us. ~ """'" Councilman Jones stated he got a lot of good experience this year on Council but there's always room for improvement. He said he has complaints about some areas and our City is Hospitality City and he wants to keep it that way. He said our #1 priority is public service to make sure our citizens are taken care of adequately, professionally, and politely and it's for City government and all the way down. He said department heads lead our departments and they have to set examples for staff and Council has to lead in policy making but staff has hands on with the people. He said they need to strive for excellence, continuous improvement and knowledge, and look at ways to improve and streaml ine the budgets. He added they need to be nice to one another and be committed and have a common sense approach to City government. He stated we need to try to get more out of people we have instead of getting more manpower because of budget control. Councilperson Martin stated she hasn't had problems with anyone and staff is up against a new Council and has realized Council wants to be involved and know about their work and how it affects the citizens. She said she spoke to Mark Karet about code enforcement because she feels it's more of a police action instead of getting personally involved with the people involved and she discussed it with the City Manager and thinks they'll adjust it a little. She added the only real problem she had was getting tee shirts for the Building Department. Councilman Hays stated they've gotten to know each other pretty well after the first year and they know he'll get involved. He said his goals are they need to be customer oriented and these citizens and taxpayers are our customers. He said we want happy people and want them to stay in our City and that1s the employees. job security and his goal. He stated if Mark Karet has to tell someone no because it doesn't meet the Code or is not zoned that way, that person needs to leave satisfied he got the correct answer and was treated fairly even though he was denied what was wished. He noted if someone is upset, the challenge of the day is the person leaves happy, and employees that see them do that, they have to do the same thing or if not, you honestly evaluate their performance because they'll follow the lead. He suggested when someone has a problem, they should have a certain date when they'll be taken care of instead of telling them a day and it takes much longer. He stated he enjoys working with department heads and feels they came a long way and got a lot accomplished. He said public image or communication with the public and giving them information they want is important and most of the time there's lack of information. Councilman Hays stated they should think about whether something they want for the department is best for the City or just their department when they're looking at the budget as there's a difference sometimes. He asked if information packets address free pickup. Mrs. Wadsworth replied garbage information is included. Council person Gillespie referred to music played at New Smyrna Beach when callers are put on hold and said she called City Hall and the phone rang 17 times today. Councilman Hays noted it could be our phone system and some people find the music irritating. There was discussion about the number of rings before the telephone is answered and callers being told to call another number when the call could be transferred, such as for Planning and Zoning, and personal conversations going on while the ringing phone is ignored. Mayor Wessler stated people take pot shots at Bill Vola and Mark Karet and in most instances Council defends staff but some things are ridiculous and there are ways to work around them. She noted there1s a give and take situation and she1s tired of giving. Councilman Hays referred to his conversation with Mr. Karet about this type of thing and he believes Mr. Karet has come a long way and it's appreciated. He asked if they need to open this for citizen comments since the meeting notice said discussion and action regarding priorities and there's a voting order. Mayor Wessler replied this is not a day for citizen comments and she wants to get staff opinions and try to hash out some of the problems and have Mr. McMahon get a good insight on how Council wants things to go in this City and maybe prioritize some of the objectives. Councilperson Gillespie stated they had a problem with drainage and worked on it and she went to Mosquito Control and went over the map and a lot of our ditches are under their control. She said Mr. Christiansen told her nobody from our staff had been out there to his knowledge. Public Works Director Carl Overstreet took exception and said Mosquito Control will not touch a ditch within our City limits and we take care of Mosquito Control ditches inside the City. 2 Council Special Meeting/Workshop December 4, 1991 ...,. ...., Mr. Overstreet added he has been out there. Mayor Wessler asked if he wrote a letter saying he was out there. Mr. Overstreet pointed out two were in his office today to return a visit. Mayor Wessler stated Mr. Overstreet is getting defensive and his attitude is part of what they want to take out of the City and he needs to follow up with a letter if therels a ditch problem. She asked that he write to have proof he did it, adding that Mrs. Gillespie represents the citizens, and not Mr. Overstreet. Councilperson Gillespie noted when she asked about the ditch, Mosquito Control said if you clean it, you own it. Mr. Overstreet explained when we started our stormwater master plan one of the problems was check dams in the County property between here and Gabordy Canal and they took out all the check dams and cleaned the entire canal from Tarmac to 10th Street. He added we coordinate a lot with each other. Councilperson Gillespie stated Mr. McMahon should be apprised they're working on it. Councilperson Gillespie referred to the joke of City of Hostility instead of Hospitality. She stated she spent 2 years walking in the front door of City Hall or being unable to get in and doesn't like the front foyer and intends to bring it back to Council to be a good impression and wants it neat and friendly and the foyer is not user-friendly. Mayor Wessler stated she saw Carl Overstreet get defensive and can imagine how he gets with residents because he has authority to hire and fire and that's the type of attitude they want to get away from. She said she's heard it about Bill Vola and Mark Karet, it's not just Carl Overstreet. She referred to Fred Munoz's attitude when he was Acting City Manager when he spoke with hostile people about the crp and he had them leave thanking him even though they didn't get what they wanted. She said she gets tired of defending staff and it gets to the point where people are attacking her and she won't have that to protect staff. She noted the Griffith report pointed out the ones that have problems dealing with people and this Council still has a year in office and perhaps the next Council will not like the report and won't be as nice to them. She suggested staff work on their communications with people in Edgewater. Councilperson Martin stated Councilperson Gillespie heard the complaint from citizens but did Councilperson Gillespie contact Mr. Overstreet as to whether the work was done or not before agreeing with the person that it should have been done. Councilperson Gillespie explained it was not work, it was finding out just who owns the drainage is why she went to Mosquito Control. Councilperson Martin noted that Councilperson Gillespie had said Public Works had not been there to do the work. Councilperson Gillespie clarified that nobody from the City prior to her had been to Mosquito Control and looked at the map and went over things and that's why Mr. Overstreet corrected her. Councilman Jones stated they're not here to attack anyone personally, and it's constructive to improve upon ourselves because weill never improve if we don't work on ourselves. He pointed out he deals with the City Manager who deals with department heads and they just want to get some motivation and information out. He referred to an incident that morning when he overheard a conversation about the City of Edgewater and a lot was not accurate information about code violations and the crp and he explained things to them and they were understanding and appreciated it. He also referred to a course he took at DBCC on dealing with angry citizens and suggested they take it because staff is the venting tool. Councilman Hays stated a lot of people just want someone to listen to them and to feel someone cares about them. Mayor Wessler stated people call her to yell at her and she takes it by choice and gets paid a lot less than staff. She referred to the contact made by the man from the music store who said nobody told him he was supposed to apply to come before Council but nobody should be stopped from coming to Council and we should look at ways to help. She also referred to a man saying he's cited for trash that1s not there but they aren't cited if nothing's there. Councilperson Martin asked if Southern Bell has a survey to tell us if our system is up to par and perhaps they should have that. Councilman Hays stated they each have 2 or 3 goals they want achieved or focused on over the next year. Mr. McMahon recommended Council conceptually develop the meaning of a goal and distinguish between that and an objective and orient the mission of the City and what weill focus on and hels asked department heads to write out missions and goals and objectives to see how they would define them. 3 Council Special Meeting/Workshop December 4, 1991 'W" ..."" Councilman Jones stated a goal is something they need to look at and really focus on and it's perception and they want to keep the goal simple and consult every one on staff and never alienate any of the members because then you keep them out and they donlt feel a part of the team. He said they should measure every- thing and where we are on the goal and how much farther to go at all levels. Mr. McMahon stated that's the purpose towards which any work endeavor would be directed. He asked Council to agree to arrive at some conclusion for goals after airing the problems and then set priorities on these goals and let him take that back to work with department heads and establish a work plan by objectives and the objectives become the measurement of goals and objectives. He explained measurement would be by time or money or both and they need some standard to measure by. He stated it's important for the Council and staff to understand the mission of the City. He explained his handout is not complete and doesn't have all departments included but if they like the format as a beginning point they could work on that basis. Councilperson Gillespie stated the Charter gives them a charge and that's their main goal, the health, safety and welfare of the community, and the goal of communications could be tied with the finance goal. Councilman Hays stated the goals will achieve the mission and one of the goals is to have happy customers and satisfied citizens and how they achieve that goal and what mechanism will put it in place is an example. Councilperson Gillespie stated as we start the crp weill have problems with everyday lives disrupted, and if we haven't communicated, that will make trouble for us. She stated communication will solve one problem and happy people stay in Edgewater and pay taxes. Councilman Hays noted mechanisms to achieve goals will be different with each department. Council person Martin stated the bi-monthly newsletter will advise customers what's coming on their street. Councilperson Gillespie agreed. Mayor Wessler stated they should submit their goals and Mr. McMahon will take them back and work out the newsletter and telephone system and telephone courtesy and can bring it back. Councilperson Martin asked to have the department report on the newsletter. Council person Gillespie noted it's non-political. Mayor Wessler said thatls all under the communications umbrella. Council person Gillespie stated her goal would be satisfaction of customers, being the citizen or taxpayer. Councilman Jones stated some of his goals would be the Charter finalized and behind them and look at the David Griffith report. He noted they asked for a survey of drainage problems in our area and held like to see a chart that shows our problem areas in writing. He stated an area for long range is streets and keep options open to pave some time in the future. Councilperson Gillespie asked if we can apply for low income grants for paving again. Planning & Zoning Director Mark Karet replied the money this year goes to Jack Corder to fund improvements on the 26 acre park. Councilperson Gillespie asked if therels any impact paving money available this year. Mr. Karet replied they used all the Block Grant money for Jack Corder and we can apply next year and develop another list of projects. Councilman Jones stated they need to look at ways of bringing swimming back to Menard-May Park and they don't get elected to take things away, they get elected to protect the rights of the citizens and he wants it brought back. He added they should look at the computer system for the future. Councilman Hays stated held like a time table for the Charter to get it back to Council for review and put it before the voters. He said held also like to see a facia ordinance, commenting on the looks of some buildings on u.S. 1. Ms. Storey noted an appearance ordinance is a complicated legal issue. Councilman Hays pointed out some are perhaps health and fire hazards. Mayor Wessler asked why buildings are empty on U.S. 1 and referred to the business that had to move across the street because antiques and baby furniture were too close to the road. Councilperson Gillespie referred to the request that a fire hydrant be placed there and there was discussion about how that business is doing at that location. Mr. Karet stated Council had tabled an outdoor display and storage ordinance that had been deve loped through c i t i zen comments and comp 1 a i nts and after go i ng through the public hearing process Council decided they didn't want that new ordinance and wanted enforcement of a 1963 ordinance that allowed display and storage of items but they had to be 20 feet back from the road. Councilperson Gillespie stated the tomb stones didn't have to be moved back. Mr. Karet stated they were cited as were others and some came into compliance and the previous Council realized there was a problem and said don't enforce it and that affects some individuals because they responded differently from others. 4 Council Special Meeting/Workshop December 4, 1991 ...... ~ Mayor Wess ler stated they have new Council s every two years but if she saw something being done wrong it wouldn't matter if she were threatened with her job, she'd stand up and say she wouldnlt do it. She noted they just went through an issue with a fence that shouldn't have been put up and most of them disagreed with it. Mr. Karet explained they made those comments in many instances, but not in public, they tell the Council member or City Manager it's a bad idea, but if the City Manager says to do it, it's done. Mayor Wessler stated it's not when it's a bad idea, but when it's wrong. She explained if a Council member asks Carl Overstreet about a drainage problem, that should be done, but not move laws around for anyone, including Council and the City Manager. She added if staff doesn't feel they have a way to stop it, then they need to approach Council. Finance Director Fred Munoz stated the fence is not so clear cut because it was not quite obvious it was illegal and Mr. Karet made the point the fence should not go up but the City Manager said there seemed to be some grounds for putting up the fence and the City Manager made the judgement call. He said department heads may disagree, but the buck stops at the City Manager and he makes the ultimate decision. Councilperson Gillespie stated she admires Chief Vola's way he handled a fire code problem. Councilman Hays stated another goal is when they look at the Charter they should consider the Merit Board was establ ished prior to a City Manager form of government and now they should consider whether it's redundant or necessary and give their opinion to Ms. Storey or Mr. McMahon. Councilman Hays stated another goal is better communication between County and City department heads because a lot of the problems could be resolved. He noted we're working on establishing a service area and when itls done he'd like zoning checked closely to see we do not get caught on some of this. Councilman Hays stated it's important to finalize the David Griffith report as soon as possible and he looks forward to recommendations from Ms. Storey and Mr. McMahon. He sa i d pr i or to re 1 ease he I d 1 i ke the eng i neer to rev i ew any developments to make sure builders are not leaving the City with problems such as some in the past and he knows Gates Castle has the ability to do that. He said they should look at some of the building codes in the Shores and they may want to make changes because it's about half built out. He referred to culverts from one end to the other to make it easier for people to maintain. He added we could change codes if there's need to and he'd like the City Manager to work with department heads on criteria based job descriptions and address job respons- ibility when they do performance evaluations. He said if employee and department head evaluation forms are like the one for Fred Munoz, it's a poor system. Councilman Hays stated a priority for him is an industrial development area and they're walking it now for gopher turtles and other things and perhaps they should look to the South and out 442 to the West and held like recommendations on that in the next few months. Councilman Hays stated they need communication and they have a good City Manager and City Attorney and all department heads know their jobs and held like to see them working better together. Councilperson Gillespie stated she promised she'd work to bring codes and Charter up to date and one of the things is we still require people to wrap their garbage in newspapers and our Code Board members have given lists of codes they feel are unenforceable. She said when they see something they should let Council know and she referred to a flooding problem. She noted she keeps her scanner on 24 hours a day and she feels the City Manager should have one available to him to save him time if something happens and it could be a small one for his office or a hand scanner. Councilperson Gillespie stated they talked about xeriscaping and stabilized sod to be included in ordinances and she feels theylre breaking down and communi- cations is a big problem. She said staff worked well with the people and nothing could be done at the time but they did not like getting cited for over capacity for the auction and then they came down and counted for the CIP public hearing. She said Gates Castle gets the problem of telling people we don't come out and do drainage repairs but he tells them how to take care of it. She added Gates and Carl handled the public very well during the flooding. 5 Council Special Meeting/Workshop December 4, 1991 '-" ..." Councilperson Martin stated some of her goals are the Charter and sign ordinance finished and preservation of waterfront view as it1s our only asset in Edgewater, and it shouldn1t be blocked off. She said keeping the public advised with a newsletter so misinformation is not passed from one person to another is important, especially with CIP, and keep the full Council aware of any decisions made, County or State, that affect Edgewater. Councilman Hays asked when the property records room will be built so children can use the Community Center for dances as that's a priority. Mr. Karet replied they're working on this and a design has been developed and Lynne Plaskett worked with the City Clerk and Chief to incorporate their desires into that building but to get accurate bids that needs to be designed and Joe Martin agreed to do that for us and will sign and seal the drawings for $1,200. Mr. McMahon asked the funding status of that building. Council person Gillespie replied they decided to do a shell and City maintenance would complete it. Police Chief Lawrence Schumaker stated originally they'd said the CIP will demolish the present evidence building and it was his hope they could borrow funds from CIP to build a new building because they're the ones destroying the present building for the sewer plant and over the period of the CIP to refund the CIP from his budget at $20,000 a year or whatever it might be. Utilities Director Terry Wadsworth stated the demolition is covered under the CIP and is eligible but they decided that money could be borrowed from wastewater impact fees that are no longer committed to the CIP and repaid over time but our current code will not permit that. Mr. McMahon recommended allowing time to look at funding and the impact on the rest of the budget. Mayor Wessler requested a report on the 16th. Mr. Karet explained Mr. Martin cannot start until the first of the year and it will take him some time. Councilman Hays asked about funds from street lights. Mr. Munoz replied Ms. Storey needs to look at this and there.s no reason it cannot be unrestricted. Mayor Wessler asked if they all agree Joe Martin can do it if funding1s there. Councilperson Gillespie referred to previous review of plans by contractors. Councilman Hays asked if it has to be a commercial contractor. Mr. Karet rep 1 i ed a commerc i a 1 contractor wou 1 d have a better understanding of what the costs are. Councilperson Gillespie asked if there was a price on single and double story to put detectives upstairs and go for two types of bids. Chief Schumaker pointed out they have thousands of dollars of equipment and evidence that's spread throughout the complex and one part time person trying to track it down and they could operate so much more economically if they had proper facilities to run the department from and this building has to be comp 1 eted pr i or to demo 1 it i on of the present bu i 1 ding. He exp 1 a i ned they're held by certain standards by law to be able to testify that this evidence has been secured and held for trial. He referred to Larzelere case evidence. Councilman Jones stated we need to think about an activity center in the future that will accommodate this size town to have something for kids and seniors and we need to look at controlling our budget and prioritizing everything up front. Mayor Wessler stated communication is the top goal, the Charter is big, making their offices user friendly, and making our City Hospitality City. She said staff can be creative and bring suggestions back to Council. She said if it were up to Council they wouldn1t allow people to put septics in because they.ll all have to be ripped up and Gates Castle can be creative about the CIP and Mark Karet can be creative with ordinances, such as low flush toilets, and Council will back them. Mr. Overstreet commented on Council's backing him at budget hearings to upgrade things and he realizes they cannot do it all at one time. Mayor Wess ler stated they can use a shovel if they don I t have a back hoe available and referred to response time to residents being fast and calls being returned the same day to people who call you. Mayor Wessler said the issues on the interlocal agreements have been handled. Mr. Karet explained the major issue is annexation and indentures. Ms. Storey stated there's a provision in the agreement that the City will not require annexation by parcels that want to hook up to utilities and it's a policy decision for Council. Councilperson Gillespie said that's no problem. Mayor Wessler said if we require someone to annex into the City we get more ad valorem but then we have to provide services and if we don't annex and surcharge is more to our advantage. Mr. Karet stated it's a complex issue and the issue involves serving in the County and eventually our property line moves to the boundary. He said Council has to discuss it and a good reason why you don't want an enclave is the problem with efficient delivery of services. He added larger developers want to come into the City and they'd have enclaves for the parcels between but 6 Council Special Meeting/Workshop December 4, 1991 ...", .."", this issue will be resolved with the interlocal agreement with the County. Councilman Hays noted it will depend on where the property is and future goals for expanding. Mr. Karet explained other communities require indentures and the County wants to prohibit us from having that right. Councilperson Gillespie stated this City wants to retain its rights on all terms. Mayor Wessler stated they don't have to wait a year to make a decision and Dick Kelton thinks that annexation agreement encompasses everything. She asked why we didn't contact Mr. Kelton. Mr. Karet replied this is not an issue that City staff let the ball drop on and the interlocal agreement has a lot of legal issues and Nikki Clayton worked closely on this and that's when the initial activity that created this last draft occurred and we have a new City Manager and Council and Dick Kelton was advised that it will have to wait until the new City Manager and Attorney could review it. He added priorities need to be set for the Attorney because she has a lot of things. Mayor Wessler stated if Mark Karet had talked with Dick Kelton, he could have done the same or more because he understands it more. Mayor Wessler stated Terry Wadsworth will be under the heat because he will have to let everyone know where things are going on in the City in the next year or so, first being Mr. McMahon and then Council. Utilities Director Terry Wadsworth explained one reason they backed off for a while on the interlocal agreement is they had a proposed CIP and without Council adopting it, the interlocal would not mean anything as they couldn't provide services, and that took a lot longer than anticipated, and another important issue is they had to resolve with DER on the loan agreement the ability to surcharge outside the City limits or it wou 1 d not have been a vi ab 1 e a 1 ternat i ve for us to serve. He stated it was resolved but they may have to do a 201 Facilities Amendment and they were doing these activities as it was going on. He noted the Mayor was under the impression they were procrastinating on processing the building permit on the water plant but they made initial comments and we responded to them and resubmitted everything the Thursday before Thanksgiving and it1s in for typing now and they processed and reviewed it in 5 working days. He said he's not sure if Ron Ferland was updated on that but the working relationship staff to staff was very good and they usually have a good rapport with the County when working at staff level. Mayor Wessler stated Fred Munoz is one of the easiest people to work with and has good people working for him and she had reservations with one employee but feels she's one of the most intelligent and may not be well liked but she1s working on that and he needs to have the telephone answering handled. Mr. Munoz explained today is shut off day and there's a long line of people to pay their bill. There was discussion regarding the transferring of telephone calls to Planning so people don1t have to call in again. Mr. Munoz stated he has a problem with communication on the CIP because it's complicated and some do not understand all the aspects but they've had a lot of meetings and in December of 1989 Dyer, Riddle put a pamphlet together that described the project and it was mailed to all residents and subsequent to that he put out a newsletter with CIP information and the newspapers have run numerous articles on the CIP plus legal advertising and if people don't understand something, they can contact the City Clerk. He said they've had articles on prepayment and have had maps outlining the different phases and sent Attachment A which generated a lot of questions. He added he went to the Winn-Dixie and talked to residents and showed the summary that went with the new Attachment A and said he feels the majority of the people are informed if they want to be informed. He noted the Citizens Awareness Group has been formed by knowledgeable people and they put out graphs to inform the people. He referred to calls going to the County about the assessment and he put an ad in the paper to call the City Clerk and not the County. Councilperson Gillespie stated Mr. Munoz did an excellent job and Councilman Jones had a town meeting and she had breakfasts for 4 months. Mr. Munoz said the only impediment to clear and concise communication and mixing things up has been the efforts of UTE because they have not been as forthright as they could be. Mayor Wessler suggested they make Karen Rickelman the person to handle things with CIP. Mr. Munoz stated that's not a viable option because she's needed for day to day operations and the CIP is being layered to our current operations and they're staffed to carry out current operations. He said we have to meet all statutory requirements and be sure we protect our monies because there could be a problem at the end and they could recapture some of the funds they gave us. Mr. McMahon stated he set up a task team on this and they'll come back with the CIP manage- ment program and an administrative proposal that will deal with these issues Mr. Munoz is talking about because of risks with loans and grants from the State and Federal government. He added there's a tremendous amount of coordination and it will be presented in the next 2-3 weeks. 7 Council Special Meeting/Workshop December 4, 1991 ".., ..., Councilperson Gillespie asked about the computer system because we can go into overload with what we have. Mr. McMahon replied some potential problems will develop pretty rapidly and he talked with David Colee today and he'll look at additional work that has to be done and take that into consideration in the near future. He stated the report from David Colee is very good and is easy to understand by a lay person. He added there will not be a system failure but they're running into capacity and user problems and he'll come back with a proposal when he has gone over the report. Councilman Jones thanked Mr. Colee for the report and said it was outstanding. David Colee stated their computer system will not blow up or quit but the problem with a shared system is one processor doing all the work and the terminals ask it to do work and the more people you get on it, the slower it will get because it has to divide its time. He said they can upgrade the processor they have but with the AIX system some programs you might like to use are not available at all or in current operating revisions for that system. He said they can upgrade the horsepower but it won't do everything everyone wants and the City probably should look at breaking that back and streamlining it towards the Finance Department and allow them to have changes and upgrades and start looking at moving everyone else into a different system. He added it's not feasible to take everyone off and scrap it and start something new because it's very expensive and a large shake up. He said they have outlying tasks with Public Works and Fire and Public Works has taken a step toward moving away from this system and they have pc's because they had problems with the telephone link and having printers and they had to drive back and forth. He expressed surprise that the Police Department had no data processing but do have report filing on computers and links to County and State computers and they have so many papers. Mr. Colee stated he and Mr. McMahon agree in some areas but some areas could use more attention than they have now and one is a proposal by Planning & Zoning for the Geographic Information System which has impact far beyond that department and impacts almost every department. He said Ms. Storey has her equipment and found a better deal than he did and he'll help the City in any way he can but if it turns into something long term, he'll not work for free very long. Mayor Wessler expressed appreciation for all he did for the City. Councilman Jones asked about tra i n i ng someone to take over automat i on. Mr. Co 1 ee rep 1 i ed he talked with Mr. Munoz and Ms. Rickelman and asked about the existing system for adding new users and didn't get an answer so unless they have someone that makes the changes, they're already at a deficit and eventually they will need someone in house who will deal with computer issues and it may be a one person full time job. He pointed out he is not looking to make a career of this or for another job but wants to build up a new system and find someone qualified and help as needed and then get out. Mr. McMahon stated he'll come back with a proposal within a short time and will probably propose using Mr. Colee's services from a practical standpoint and when it requires the type of overseeing and management they're discussing, it would be the time to look at someone to handle EDP. Mayor Wessler stated she feels Bill Vola does a good job but has some public relations problems and she has no doubt about his ability, but perhaps he should look at some of the rules that do not have to be enforced. Chief Vola stated that's what he's asked Council, and the previous Council, for since he started work here, and his job is to enforce State laws and their policies, and if he doesn't know their policies, he's already in a catch 22. He added some have more Code related enforcement responsibilities and that puts them as a target and there won't be complaints from people they do good jobs with but those that run afoul of them will complain. He noted the majority will work with them and meet half way and referred to an apartment complex they've been working on for over a year. He stated he sees results when those rules are not followed and disasters have been his private experience the past 17 years and he doesn't want that happening here. He said he'll be glad to accommodate where he can but he will set his feet and head when he sees danger. Mayor Wessler stated there's a give point with everything and there's a builder or two that causes headaches but some don't and some are put out of business because of rules that we can change and Mr. McMahon can handle that. She said anything brought up at Council meetings should be discussed at the department head meeting the next day and Council should get a report via Mr. McMahon to know what is done. 8 Council Special Meeting/Workshop December 4, 1991 '-' ..., Mayor Wessler stated the Merit Board issue and taking it out of the Charter is one way of cutting down on government, and they keep adding boards for this and that, and shouldn't hire as many people. She added we want to keep the personal touch and they could start by having the girls answer the phones by saying "Thank you for calling the City of Edgewater. How may I help you?" Councilman Hays stated they should identify themselves. Councilperson Gillespie stated Carol and Dee do but the rest do not. Mayor Wessler stated the girls in the back should pick it up if the ones in front don't after 3 rings, and she's going to get very upset if she hears anyone else say "take it to the City Counci 1". Parks & Recreation Director Jack Corder asked Council to consider raising the cap on purchasing through the departments because there's a problem with our growing programs and he has to buy from different suppliers and it costs him more money. Mayor Wessler asked if it should be $5,000. Councilperson Gillespie asked to let Mr. McMahon set it up. Councilman Hays noted Ms. Storey suggested the sign ordinance be rolled in with land regulations. Ms. Storey explained that time frame was not completely set but she came in September with things that have been waiting for months and she needs to know whatls priority, and if Charter is priority, then the sign ordinance will have to move back and she and Mark have to get into land develop- ment reg's. She added it will not take a lot of time to bring the Charter to them and then it will depend on how many changes are made and how many meetings held. She said Mrs. Wadsworth contacted the Supervisor of Elections about money saved if done in March or on our own and it will be $1,600-$1,700 saved and her op i n ion is that it I S not worth it to try to wh i pit through by January 1. Councilman Hays pointed out a certain percentage of the population leaves after Easter and they should consider getting it before then. Ms. Storey noted a lot of the people in Florida Shores that leave then may not be registered voters and they could get absentee ballots. Mayor Wessler suggested the middle of February with election in April. Ms. Storey stated priorities would then be the Charter and land development reg's. Mayor Wessler asked if we're enforcing the existing sign ordinance. Planning & Zoning Director Mark Karet replied yes. Councilperson Gillespie asked about the interlocal agreement for services because it needs to be finished. Ms. Storey explained her part is basically finished and what is left is policy decision. Mayor Wessler stated it's the Charter, land regis, and then sign ordinance. Councilperson Gillespie asked that the sign ordinance be done prior to anyone qualifying for next year. Chief Schumaker asked that Council review the animal steril ization program. Councilperson Gillespie stated they agreed to enter into it but didn't budget for it. Chief Schumaker pointed out the City Clerk has to buy tags and there's an ordinance involved. Councilman Hays stated the County will purchase the tags if we're going to participate. Chief Schumaker stated the estimated cost is $2,142 and he sent a memo explaining that, and if they're going to do it, they need to te 11 the County and fund it up front and get the money to the veterinarians so they can get the rebate program for people that have certified they sterilized the animal. Mayor Wessler asked if money's in the budget. Chief Schumaker replied no, but it could be an addendum. Mayor Wessler asked that the money be found. Chief Schumaker pointed out they need an ordinance. Council person Gillespie asked the status of the part time animal control officer. Chief Schumaker replied they processed a number of applications and the lady selected will start work shortly after the holidays to allow her time to give notice to her present employer. City Engineer Gates Castle stated as they go into the CIP construction helll submit monthly reports to keep Council informed of the status of various projects, and he's excited about it. City Clerk Susan Wadsworth asked about the personne 1 manua 1. Ms. Storey indicated she has it. Mrs. Wadsworth stated we need criteria and guidance for the "Employee of the Month" program. She explained it's currently done by department heads with majority vote once a month at a department head meeting. Mayor Wessler asked if there's a problem with the way it's being done. Planning & Zoning Director 9 Council Special Meeting/Workshop December 4, 1991 'w' ..." Mark Karet replied within some departments it causes a problem and they need to look at ways to recognize employee contributions without it being a popularity contest. Councilman Hays stated it may be a problem with a small department and a department head who is very active and another department head may not like to speak out. Mayor Wessler stated department heads should put in their suggestion. Councilman Hays suggested they could do it on a department head 1 eve 1 or on an emp 1 oyee 1 eve 1 ins i de the department and rotate through the department and give each department head an opportun i ty to present the i r emp 1 oyee of the month and criteria for the departments may be different according to the department and number of employees in the department would dictate how often they could make a presentation. Mayor Wessler agreed employees making the nomination is a good idea. Councilman Hays moved to adjourn. Councilman Jones seconded the motion. Meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m. Minutes submitted by: Lura Sue Koser ATTEST: ~ '- K~~-- ~-:> CITY CLERK I A~d this ~ day of , 199.2- . ,~~~~~ MAYOR \.J 0~.... ,I ~ 10 Council Special Meeting/Workshop December 4, 1991