07-14-2000 - Budget Workshop
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CITY COUNCIL OF EDGBWATER
WORKSHOP
JULY 14, 2000
7:00 P.M.
COMMUNITY CENTER
MINUTES
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Schmidt called the Workshop to order at 7:00 p.m. in the
community Center.
ROLL CALL
Mayor Donald Schmidt
Councilman James Brown
Councilman Dennis vincenzi
Councilwoman Harriet Rhodes
Councilwoman Judith Lichter
City Manager Kenneth Hooper
city Attorney Scott Cookson
City Clerk Susan Wadsworth
Police Chief Lawrence Schumaker
Present
Present
Present
Present
Present
Present
Excused
Present
Present
MEETING PURPOSE
The purpose of the meeting was to go over the Enterprise Funds.
City Manager Hooper made a brief staff presentation.
Mayor Schmidt was amazed by the total on penalties.
Councilwoman Lichter spoke about people that are not here all
year long not paying as they do now. City Manager Hooper
explained they have looked at it. There is about a $100,000
price tag to that. At this point it is not feasible. Our system
is geared only towards property owners. They are going to try
and modify that. Impact fees are based on fixtures and they are
going to propose to Council to change that. They are preparing
to come back in August or September with changes in the rate
structure as far as what they charge for and how they charge.
Councilwoman Lichter spoke about areas in the City that still
have septic tanks and asked if there are any plans to eliminate
them. Mr. Wadsworth explained there have been some preliminary
plans on the board for those particular areas. He further
explained these areas.
Councilwoman Lichter spoke about water problems on Riverside
Drive. Mr. Wadsworth spoke about the stormwater emptying on
Riverside Drive. city Manager Hooper stated anywhere they have
done road improvements if there is septic tanks they strongly
looked at making that part of the assessment program.
Annexations occur for utilities and higher densities as well as
development rights.
Councilman Brown asked if they are addressing the issue
bills accumulating even after a meter has been pulled.
Manager Hooper explained they have offered some methods
payment with those individuals.
Mayor Schmidt spoke about the School Board meeting at the
Elementary School last night. A few of the residents on Air Park
Road talked about sewer. We know if the school is built there,
sewer and water would be down there. Are there any preliminary
plans to extend it from Silver Palm down Air Park? Mr. Wadsworth
explained when they initially looked at it the problem there was
half the road is entirely in the County. There was no way to
assess them. If the middle school goes in, it is up to them to
go ahead and install the improvements associated with it.
of water
city
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There was further discussion regarding improvements on Air Park
Road with regard to the proposed Middle School site.
Councilwoman Lichter spoke about a question a reporter asked
regarding what is the advantage of the City taking the school
property into the City. If you leave it in the county, you don't
provide services.
City Manager Hooper explained the City will have to by State
Statute service the school anyway. If it is in the County, it
makes an enclave and a difficult parcel to get around. It helps
with further annexations if it is contiguous on the other side.
By Florida Statutes the closest utility is obligated to serve
schools. We are in on that no matter what happens.
Councilwoman Rhodes spoke about annexing the school property and
having more control over it.
Mayor Schmidt asked about the water development fees. City
Manager Hooper informed him those are impact fees and connection
fees. Mr. Wadsworth commented on why they were bigger last year
than this year. He spoke about impact fees being budgeted
separately from the operation and maintenance funds originally.
City Manager Hooper asked the Council if they had anything on
revenues. He referred to Page 42 - Debt Service.
There was a brief discussion regarding the need to hire a Class C
Operator at the Water Plant. They will be returning to the
staffing level they had eight years ago.
Councilwoman Lichter asked if
been utilized. Mr. Wadsworth
Emergency Operations Center.
use.
the upstairs at the Water Plant has
informed her it is part of the
It does get put to some degree of
City Manager Hooper explained that R & R on Page 42 is the
Renewal & Replacement Fund.
Councilman Vincenzi asked if they will be able to set up a
similar fund for other uses, such as City Hall. City Manager
Hooper explained they are going to identify. On the next agenda,
is going to be the request to initiate the process, starting a
Committee to look at sites.
There were no more questions with regard to water or sewer.
City Manager Hooper commented on stormwater fees.
Councilwoman Lichter had a question regarding new meter
installations under Field Operations. City Manager Hooper
explained it is generally just to replace old meters. Mr.
Wadsworth explained this is for new meter installations. They do
budget some meters under repair and maintenance to replace faulty
ones. City Manager Hooper spoke about a big issue in the past
being they used to read to the nearest thousandths, now they read
to the hundredths, which gives the residents more accuracy.
Councilwoman Lichter referred to Page 51 - canal maintenance
temporary help. She feels it seems they have permanent help for
canal maintenance but it seems to her a rather weak area. Mr.
Wadsworth explained that was to hire additional people to help in
the summer with mowing and maintenance. It wound up not being
worth doing it. Councilwoman Lichter asked if they have enough
permanent people tending to canals. Mr. Wadsworth stated he
would like somebody impartial to judge that. That is one of the
areas that will be looked at in the stormwater study. His gut
feeling is no, with the amount of canals and swales we have in
the City. He welcomes the outside look at that to help make that
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Council Workshop
July 14, 2000
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Councilwoman Lichter asked if outside help is in there. city
Manager Hooper commented on the master stormwater study that is
currently underway.
City Manager Hooper stated what they are really doing on the
Enterprise Funds. Those funds are balanced. They could go ahead
and approve the capital at this time. Mr. Wadsworth has agreed,
along with the General Fund, they are just going to take a longer
hard look and delay some of those approvals, put them in the
budget, let Council see them and they will talk about them. He
spoke about the capital projects being impacted by the Water,
Sewer and Capital Improvement Funds.
Councilwoman Lichter spoke about not knowing why people keep
bringing up in newspaper articles about going private with
refuse. We have one of the best systems there is as it is with
guys that care. She feels our system is fine the way it is.
City Manager Hooper explained every year it is a question of
cost. He is not interested with doing anything different right
now.
Councilwoman Rhodes stated she was asked last week why the City
can't take over the recycling. City Manager Hooper explained it
is very expensive. Right now it is contracted and it will be
coming up on an agenda to renew the same contract. It works and
works well. Mr. Wadsworth spoke about some of the complaints
they have heard.
City Manager Hooper referred to Page 57 and explained some of the
replacement equipment that will be needed. Mr. Wadsworth further
explained why some of the equipment will be needed.
Mayor Schmidt asked if they are still working on getting rid of
the tree rubbish at Public Works. Mr. Wadsworth explained they
have a contract and they bring in a tough grinder to reduce it
all to mulch and then they haul it off. Councilwoman Lichter
asked about people picking up the mulch. Mr. Wadsworth explained
they generate a lot more mulch than there is use for. It's not
the highest quality. Councilman Vincenzi suggested using it in
the medians when they are beautified.
Council had no more questions with regard to the Enterprise
Funds.
City Manager Hooper referred back to the General Fund. He asked
for Council input on some areas. Impact fees, to offset some of
the capital cost, he would like to present to Council a cost
estimate of what a Fire, a Police, maybe even an Administrative
Capital Improvement Fund would be, to start so that as new
development it wouldn't impact an existing resident. He
explained the study would be done in-house. They will hear some
builders say it has an impact on cost and it does. If you keep
the prices down, it is a fairly small amount, within the $200 to
$300 range. Councilwoman Rhodes would like to see a comparison
between us and other cities. If our impact fees are too high
here, they will live in New Smyrna.
Councilwoman Lichter spoke about from the beginning of Edgewater,
everyone has come in in a different manner. Nothing has been
done the same. She is also willing to look at the other cities
and come up with something reasonable. City Manager Hooper
agreed to bring this back in October or November. They will
present a summary of what others are doing as well as a study as
to if we did it, what you could see as revenues coming in.
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July 14, 2000
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City Manager Hooper went over a priority list. He recommended to
Council that they hold all of the personnel positions, that they
do not fill any of the new personnel with the exception of the
one that was required for the gymnasium. The rest they will hold
for six months and look at their finances at the end of that
time. He spoke of the mid-year budget process. He feels they
should make resurfacing a top priority. Number seven and the
rest of the way down will depend on cash flow. He asked Council
to hold off approval of those until they come back with a better
understanding of our cash carry forward and our fund balance,
what we have in reserves and savings.
Councilwoman Rhodes asked if they hold off, won't that compound
next year. City Manager Hooper stated no. They aren't going to
carry it any further than a six month time period. The only
reason they are doing this is because they have so many capital
projects that the City has never tried to do as much as it is
doing today. He explained why he is not comfortable telling
Council they have enough money to do all of these projects.
Councilwoman Lichter stated she has all faith in the City
Manager. She feels he has his finger on every department. She
has to take his word that this is the best financial way to go.
As far as priority goes, the first ones have to be done. The
rest will come.
Councilman Vincenzi asked about staggering two pOlice officers.
City Manager Hooper would rather just put them both on hold at
this time and train the CAPS program.
Chief Schumaker feels they need to address the growth of the City
and the expansion and annexation. Everything below seven is
going to be deferred until March. He doesn't know how they are
going to satisfy themselves with going out on bid for the
vehicles they need to operate. The vehicle is he most concerned
about is the animal control truck. There is no other vehicle in
the department that will satisfy the needs to piCk up a bad dog
or a wild animal. He is not sure they can wait until March.
City Manager Hooper stated if it is needed it will be back in
front of them on any given Monday night as an agendaed item.
Councilman Vincenzi asked about the CAD software. He asked if
that is something they can wait on. Chief Schumaker stated they
operate reasonably well although the CAD would make their record
keeping more accurate and easier but they could function without
the CAD system until March or a year from March for that matter.
The Animal Control truck is more critical than any other piece of
equipment he is asking for.
City Manager Hooper defined the current situation with regard to
the CAD Software. They want to make sure they do what they want
to do and do it right the first time.
Councilwoman Lichter asked if they are going to be giving the
land that the fire house was supposed to be on to a realtor.
City Manager Hooper explained that is going to be on an agenda
coming up and that will be declared surplus and ask that it be
sold.
Chief Schumaker addressed the two Code Enforcement Officers only
having one vehicle. It doesn't make sense to him to have two
Code Enforcement Officers in the field and only one vehicle to
put them in. City Manager Hooper explained the Code Enforcement
Officers right now are in a training mode and learning. He
commented on the Code Enforcement process. There are other
vehicles they can and will use. If the time comes very quickly
that they need it, they will be back before Council on any given
Monday.
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Council Workshop
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Councilman Vincenzi feels that is one thing they have to be
active about now that these codes are in place.
Councilwoman Rhodes asked if the rest will come back to them
piece meal or are they going to decide at large if they have the
funds. City Manager Hooper stated the plan is most of them in
March. If there are things needed sooner, they will bring those
back. The proposal is to set up a contingency fund in the
budget.
Councilwoman Rhodes asked if there is any chance of moving the
animal control truck up to number eight and doing the first
eight. There is no backup to the animal control truck. City
Manager Hooper explained there are other trucks quickly and if
that were to happen tomorrow, he thinks by next week they could
be back in business with another alternative. He further
commented on how they will handle the replacement vehicles.
City Manager Hooper stated what he thinks he is hearing is to
prepare the budget in the format they have presented to Council.
They will bring it back to Council in a first public hearing in
September. On the next agenda will be the authorization to
advertise the millage at 5.95. If everything at that point is
satisfactory, the next step will be to have the two budget public
hearings. He will bring back to Council in early September an
update on finances if there is anything there to add to it at
that point.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to discuss, Mayor Schmidt
adjourned the meeting at 7:50 p.m.
Minutes submitted by:
Lisa Bloomer
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