CITY OF DEERFIELD BEACH BUDGET WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, June 12, 2012 at 6:30 P.M.

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1 CITY OF DEERFIELD BEACH BUDGET WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, June 12, 2012 at 6:30 P.M. The meeting was called to order on the above date by Mayor Peggy Noland at 6:37 p.m. in the Central City Campus, Conference Room, Deerfield Beach, Florida. ROLL CALL Present: Also Present: Absent: Commissioner Joe Miller Commissioner Marty Popelsky Commissioner Ben Preston Vice Mayor Bill Ganz Mayor Peggy Noland Burgess Hanson, City Manager Andrew Maurodis, City Attorney Ada Graham-Johnson, MMC, City Clerk Hugh Dunkley, Director of Finance Services None APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA DIGITAL TIME STAMP: 6:38:13 June 12, 2012 Motion was made by Commissioner Joe Miller and seconded by Commissioner Marty Popelsky to approve the June 12, 2012 Budget Workshop agenda as submitted. Voice Vote: Commissioner Joe Miller, Commissioner Marty Popelsky, Commissioner Ben Preston, Vice Mayor Bill Ganz, and Mayor Peggy Noland. NAYS: None. Burgess Hanson, City Manager, welcomed everyone to the budget session. He stated that this workshop will cover year to date figures for the current Fiscal Year and each department will discuss the estimated budget for the upcoming Fiscal Year; which is usually not presented until the August budget transmittal. This will allow the Commission to make recommendations to the budget for that time. Mr. Hanson introduced Hugh Dunkley, Chief Financial Officer. 1

2 FINANCIAL SERVICES & ADMINISTRATIVE DEPTS DIGITAL TIME STAMP: 6:40:24 Hugh Dunkley, Finance Director, introduced Miguel Augustin, Assistant Finance Director, and Melissa Taylor-Lewis, Senior Budget Analyst; thereafter, he provided an overview of his presentation. Budget Summary - Mr. Dunkley briefly outlined the overall budget for the various funds; the General Fund, Senior Services Fund, CDBG Fund, Road & Bridge Fund, and the Solid Waste Fund. Mr. Dunkley explained that the CDBG Fund increased because the entitlement amount is budgeted approximately $600,000 each year. Notwithstanding, the carry over funds were not budgeted this year. Additionally, the Road & Bridge Fund increased due to a yet to be issued bond issuance which will be utilized for street improvements. Each year, $1 million is injected into the Water & Sewer Renewal and Replacement Fund from the Utility Fund. The increase in Solid Waste is largely due to capital acquisitions. He stated that funds decreased in the Utility Fund and the Insurance Services Trust Fund. Revenue Summary - All Funds - Mr. Dunkley outlined the City s revenue summary, all funds, $132,194,481; the largest is for public safety and recreation charges, which is supplied for the general public. He continued outlining the funds. Expenditure Summary - All Funds - Mr. Dunkley outlined the expenditure summary, all funds. Included in the operating expenditures are the two (2) major contracts, police and fire; 58%. Mr. Dunkley continued to outline the expenditure summaries. General Fund Revenues - Mr. Dunkley outlined the general fund revenues. Ad valorem taxes had a negligible increase of approximately 1%; which does not yield much in terms of revenues, notwithstanding, the property values are trending upward. Furthermore, public service tax has been somewhat positive because the projected $6.2 million in taxes is being collected. He said a few of the utility providers were not aware that the public service tax was in place; thus, the franchise fee agreement is being compared with the public service tax collections to determine if collection is at full compliance. Continuing, Mr. Dunkley said that the communication service tax is an issue in Tallahassee and the Governor has appointed a Communications Services Tax group who has been charged with recommendations on streamlining the tax. The primary aim is to reduce the tax base which coincidentally will be less revenue for the City. There is a large push by the lobbyist in the private sector to decrease the taxable base of the tax; therefore, the tax will decline over the years to come. He said that no increase is being proposed for the fire assessment tax, but a slight increase for the parking fees on the beach. An analysis will be presented to the Commission to maximize revenues. General Funds Expenditures - Mr. Dunkley said that there is a decrease in personal services, due to fire merger. The increase in the operation expenditures is due to personal services going into operating expenses. The decrease in non-operating expenditures transfers to the Insurance Services Trust Fund for claims in connection 2

3 FINANCIAL SERVICES & ADMINISTRATIVE DEPTS - CONTINUED with health insurance; things that would still be present had the City employed its own fire force. Senior Services Fund - Mr. Dunkley said that the Senior Services Fund has a total budget of approximately $2.5 million. In Fiscal Year 2013, General Fund contribution to that fund will have a slight increase. Moreover, the overall increase is due to acquisition of the bus by the Thrift Shop Division. CDBG Fund - Mr. Dunkley explained that the CDBG Fund is increasing because of reprogrammed funds, from prior years. He highlighted the total amount spendable as opposed to the incremental amount from the US Government. Road and Bridge Fund - Mr. Dunkley said that the Road & Bridge Fund budget should remain static. The only increase is the allocable share of the yet to be issued bond financing which is to be used for street resurfacing projects. Enterprise Fund - Mr. Dunkley outlined the three (3) funds; Utility, Water & Sewer, and Solid Waste. Utility Fund - The total budget for the Utility Fund is $24.3 million; and there will be no utility rate increases for the coming year. Water and Sewer Renewal and Replacement Fund - This fund is a sub-fund of the Water & Sewer operating fund; and creates a more even budgeted expenditure in the operating fund so that Capital Outlay will not have a fluctuating budget in the operating fund. The major capital improvements for the utility fund have been separated and placed in the Water & Sewer Renewal Replacement Fund. Solid Waste Fund - The budget is $15.4 million. The major contribution is the reduction of tipping fees. There is also an increase in the transfer to the General Fund as a result of bonds issued in 2003 and 2006, partly for construction of Central City Campus. Therefore, the Sanitation Fund will cover a part of the debt service bill. Insurance Services Trust Fund - The total budget decreased from $10.5 million to $7.8 million, which largely resulted from the fire merger. Mr. Hanson said that the figure can continue to decline. Mr. Dunkley said that we have not experienced a full year of claims without fire; essentially, this is a projected budget, but hopes that this figure is approximate of what is yet to come. Economic Trends - Mr. Dunkley said that when you look at some of the economic numbers, the economy is recovering. The foreclosure filings for 2010 for Broward County and in and Deerfield Beach, the numbers spike, but there is a precipitous decline in 2011 and 2012 to the fact that we are slowly rising out of the recession. He further 3

4 FINANCIAL SERVICES & ADMINISTRATIVE DEPTS - CONTINUED commented on the unemployment rate; as of September 30, 2011, the rate was 8.9%. The most recent data has the rate decreased to 6.7% for Deerfield Beach. Consumer confidence for Florida rose 3 points, which means that people feel that more jobs will be available and the economic production of the nation will be better. Gross Domestic Product - Continuing, Mr. Dunkley said that the gross domestic product (GDP) growth is an overall measure of how good the economy is doing. Over the past quarter, there has been a 1.9% increase in the GDP. He explained what a recession is; the 1.9% is reflecting positive growth. He briefly explained the European debt crisis and how it impacts the stock market, which impacts pension funds. Mr. Dunkley said that we are poised to be a bit stable in the upcoming year. Commissioner Miller commented on the increase budget of $3.2 million and asked if it will be spread out to the departments. Mr. Dunkley replied that the increase in the General Fund is largely due to the fact that the Broward Sheriff s Office is billing us for insurance claims, fuel, uniforms, training, and all the things associated. Typically, the City reports claims in a different fund, not the General Fund; therefore, the decline would be in the Insurance Services Trust Fund. Commissioner Popelsky said that last year there was approximately $2,000 in delinquent taxes. He asked what the new figure is. Mr. Dunkley said that the property tax lien sales in June and the tax collector will provide a score card as to the delinquencies and uncollected taxes at that time; therefore, he will provide the information at a later date. Although, the last of the collections are collected in September for the Fiscal Year, which is after the tax lien sales. Commissioner Popelsky asked if the millage rate has been prepared. Mr. Dunkley replied that there is no planned change in the millage rate. Vice Mayor Ganz asked what the overall budget increase of $2.4 million is attributed to. Mr. Dunkley replied a slight increase in the pension, because two (2) pension plans were closed, non-uniformed and fire. Vice Mayor Ganz said that it cost us now but will save us in the long run. Mr. Dunkley concurred. He reiterated the increases in the CDBG Fund and the Road & Bridge Fund. The Solid Waste Fund also has planned capital acquisition. 4

5 SENIOR SERVICES DIGITAL TIME STAMP: 07:04:40 Frieda Caldes, Deputy Director of Senior Services, provided a brief overview of the Senior Services Department and other subdivisions they house; which they recently included the Community Development Division. NE Focal Point CASA - Ms. Caldes gave a brief explanation of CASA, Inc. Children s Alzheimer s, Senior and Adult Services. This is a non-profit 501c3 Board which was established approximately 25 years ago to help raise funds and awareness. The Board normally pledges $150,000 to the Center. Due to the non-profit designation, they are also able to secure various grants; moreover, as a United Way of Broward recipient they receive $51,520 for the Alzheimer s Center. Ms. Caldes commented on the volunteers they receive each year. She also listed various fundraisers they have annually; Fashion Show Luncheon and Cuisine of the Region. In which results into money saved and donated. Senior Center/Senior Center & Child Care Center - Ms. Caldes briefly outlined the Senior Center and the programs they provide; thereafter she listed their goals and performance measures. She briefly highlighted the transportation services that they provide for the seniors, with roundtrip transportation. They also partner with Broward County to provide community bus shuttle with Express 1 and Express 2 buses. Additionally, Ms. Caldes briefly commented on the intergeneration child care services that they provide; however, they saw a drop in children due to the economy. The goal was 20 children and to date, they have 18 children. The VPK program will commence in the fall; additionally, they receive vouchers from Family Central. She also commented on their goal and performance measure for computer lessons. Alzheimer s Center and Multi-Cultural Adult Day Services Center - Ms. Caldes outlined the various services provided for the Alzheimer s Center & Adult Day Center, along with goals and performance measures. The service also allows much needed respite for the caregivers. The goal was 30,000 for the end of the year and mid-year, the figure is 24,679. Thrift Shop - Ms. Caldes said that they were a little under target for deliveries, pickups, sales transactions, and funds generated; nevertheless, they exceed goals for assisting families. She said that they receive referrals from various social services organizations, churches, or other religious institutions for families that they help with furniture, clothing, or whatever necessary. Funding/Budgetary Information - Ms. Caldes outlined the increases and decreases experienced for various funds. She said that the funds from the Older Americans Act were non-recurring; therefore, those funds will not be provided next fiscal year. Senior Services was able to recoup $412, from the Disaster Recovery Initiative. Continuing, Ms. Caldes said that to save funds various changes were made; consolidation of two (2) photocopy machines, initiated a lower cost for the Community Development Division. They also secured five (5) awards for buses through the Florida Department of Transportation in the last 2.5 years; four (4) buses were already 5

6 SENIOR SERVICES - CONTINUED purchased but they plan to purchase one (1) by the end of this month. By the end of the mid-year, Senior Services was approximately 6% below budgeted expenditures. Community Development Division Improvements - Ms. Caldes outlined improvements that have been implemented for this division; developed policies and procedures; utilized an outside vendor, Community Redevelopment Associates of Florida, CRA which allowed them to implement various activities and programs. There has been an increase in citizen participation, public notices, and transparency. She outlined the public meetings that were held. She also explained their collaborations with the Purchasing Division for RFQs. Ms. Caldes continued to outline various functions and tasks they have undertaken for Community Development. Community Development Division - Continuing, Ms. Caldes outlined current and future projects and plans for Community Development Division, as well as the time frame; and cost for the projects. The Neighborhood Initiative Program will also continue over the summer for eight (8) weeks at approximately $70,000; with four (4) on Staff and at least 50 at risk students. Future Expansion Plans - Ms. Caldes said that the thrift shop expansion project with the City s General Obligation Bond is $744,285. The expansion will include a new layout and design and will go into the DeHoernle building that the City acquired. They are requesting a new thrift shop truck for $65,000; the current trucks are 18 and 12 years old. However, they are hoping for a 10% increases from the new center, approximately $40,000; annual revenue of approximately $400,000 per year with $100,000 profit. Future Projects & Plans - Ms. Caldes said that they are ordering a new bus with funds from the Florida Department of Transportation; the bus costs $88,000 with a 10% match from Jackie and Carl Peter. They are awaiting potential approval of a $140,000 grant and the General Obligation Bond of approximately $744,000. Notwithstanding, they are continually writing grants, many through the CASA Board. FY 2012/13 Consideration for Senior Services - The total budget for Senior Services is $2,360,247 which is less than the amount Mr. Dunkley mentioned with the Insurance Services Trust Fund. She continued outlining the budget for each of the divisions. Senior Services has total revenues of $1,581,273. Although, they asked the City for a contribution of $651,683; approximately 29% of the total budget; they would bring on 71%. In closing Ms. Caldes thanked the Commission for supporting the NE Focal Point as they continue to strive to be a safety net for the community and improve the quality of life for all generations. Mayor Noland asked when the thrift shop expansion is planned. Ms. Caldes said that they have already started the meetings and the architectural plans are underway; bids will be coming in. Commissioner Preston asked where the list for approved contractors originates. 6

7 SENIOR SERVICES - CONTINUED Ms. Caldes said that she is not as familiar with the Community Development Division. Burgess Hanson, City Manager, said that the list is provided by the Purchasing Division; they make sure the contractors are qualified. Commissioner Preston said that of the work that is done, what is the percentile of the homeowners complain. Mr. Hanson said that this is not normally tracked; however, there have been one (1) or two (2) complaints, but not many complaints. Mayor Noland said that there is a lot more attention paid to that division, because it is under Senior Services and things are being done completely different. She said that in the past, there were a lot of complaints, but not now. She commended Mr. Hanson for moving it under the Senior Center. Commissioner Preston said that he has been called to residents homes to show him the substandard quality of work that had been done. He commented on the work quality as the contractors know the funds are there and simply want to get paid. He said that many that qualify for this type of assistance have issues about requesting assistance, but to have substandard work is almost like a statement that they should be happy that the work is being done which is unacceptable. Mr. Hanson said that there are some clients that have gone through this process to find out that the work that they are requesting is not allowed; then they complain about the contractor. Commissioner Preston said that there is a difference in someone wanting upscale items than having holes in a wall; which further degrades them. He said you cannot improve the spirit of a person when they do not feel good about their surroundings. Furthermore, he expressed having skepticism about the contractors because they know the programs exist and there is money for them and once they have the contract, there is no control or monitoring of the work. Mr. Hanson said that since Community Development is under Senior Services, it has changed. FINANCIAL SVCS & ADMIN DEPTS - CONTINUED DIGITAL TIM STAMP: 7:30:42 Mr. Hanson requested that Mr. Dunkley outline information he compiled earlier today; which was not included in the PowerPoint. General Fund Per Capita Comparisons - Mr. Dunkley explained that a major indicator of operations is population and general fund expenditure per capita; which tells how much the City is spending per resident. When compared with surrounding cities, the general fund per capita is a little over $900; however, the surrounding cities exceed $1,000. This means that either we are spending too little or they are spending too much. He said that 7

8 FINANCIAL SVCS & ADMIN DEPTS - CONTINUED he believes it is the latter. We are placing less of a tax burden on our residents and spending less. Consequently, Plantation has another general fund; as they collect all their fire expenditures in what is called a fire fund. He explained that they take the total fire assessment fee and a portion of their fire expenditures toward that fund; adding about $10 million to their total. Remarkably, we are doing quite a bit with the little that we have. PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIGITAL TIME STAMP: 07:33:51 Gerald Ferguson, Director of Planning and Development Services, stated that after the total reorganization and renaming of the department last year, there are now two (2) divisions under the Planning and Development Services Department; Planning and Zoning Division and Building Division. Planning & Zoning Division - Mr. Ferguson outlined the functions of the Planning & Zoning Division; in which the City landscaping position is also under this division. He said that they are still working on the certificate of use process as it has been more difficult than anticipated. Due to changes in the State Law, occupational licenses are now business tax receipts. He said signs are also incorporated in this division. Mr. Ferguson outlined the various functions of the Building Division, as well as the permits, building permits, permit inspections, and alarm permits. Continuing, Mr. Ferguson outlined the Planning & Zoning Division s performance measures and year-to-date figures as of June 1; which equate to 2,891 items. In terms of plan reviews, 260 required public hearing or Board meetings; however, the permit and review fee revenue is only $43,696. Building Division - Mr. Ferguson said that there were 4,650 permits issued, but some permits required multiple reviews of the plans. He explained the different challenges faced with permits. He also outlined performance measures for permit inspections, approximately 10,000 YTD, for those permits. The value of construction includes new development, remodeling, value of building properties in the City that has an YTD value of approximately $58 million. The permit fee revenue YTD is $1.5 million; whereby, the total budget for this division is $1.6 million. Consequently, the contract with the City of Lighthouse Point allows the City to perform plan review and inspections; which services are paid on an hourly basis and have generated $132,000 in revenue. Mr. Ferguson stated that they are also digitizing records; he outlined the number of public records request received this year. The title search companies are now requesting thorough permit checks for open permits or work done without permits on homes that are being purchased or refinanced. He said that they do not have drawings for the very old records, but they do have handwritten cards that indicate what the permits were for, the value, approval date, and the inspections. He said that some of the historical records are on microfiche. There will be photocopies of plan drawings and the application forms. For the last three (3) years, the records have been digitized/scanned resulting in less time to research and retrieve records. He listed the number of records 8

9 PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES - CONTINUED that have been scanned; approximately 84,000. He said that they are moving forward to bring all records current. Intergovernmental Coordination - Mr. Ferguson said that one of our responsibilities is intergovernmental coordination. He outlined the various agencies that they have met with; a total of 46 meetings that Staff has participated in. The importance of the intergovernmental coordination is to protect the interest of Deerfield Beach, and to make sure the City is not left out, and that we receive what is due to us. Projects YTD - Mr. Ferguson outlined the projects that they have completed year to date to include: Complete Streets, technical assistance from the EPA, and Complete Streets America. He said that the Complete Streets Committee was formed and they will be developing a policy plan that will be presented to the Commission in the future. Mr. Ferguson continued outlining projects YTD. During the Arbor Day Tree Giveaway and the Shady Streets Program, over 400 trees have been given to residents, or planted trees in rights of way; approximately $16,000 in trees. Continuing, Mr. Ferguson said that they applied for the Urban Community Forestry Grant, a $75,000 grant. Additionally, about 7,000 trees have been inventoried for the City parks, facilities, and highway medians; only 10% of trees in the public domain. However, there is no funding to continue at this time, but hope to use interns or students to expand the tree inventory. In the event of a hurricane, this is needed as a reporting tool to measure the loss for reimbursement. Mr. Ferguson further stated that Broward Beautiful Grant was received for $150,000 for the Hillsboro Project. Unfortunately, there has been difficulty getting through with FDOT; but the bid is almost ready to go. He continued to outline the various projects YTD. In closing, Mr. Ferguson said that the request is to continue with the same budget for the next fiscal year. The current budget is $2.328 million; the original request was $2.315 which has been slightly reduced. Mayor Noland said that she is glad to see that the records are being digitized. She further thanked Burgess Hanson, City Manager, for supporting IT, as this is something that is needed. She said that the IT Department was not used to its fullest capacity in the past. Commissioner Miller inquired about the current fiscal year. Mr. Hanson said that in the current fiscal year, $2,328,320 was budgeted; departmental requests for the upcoming fiscal year was $200,000 less; $2,326,419. Mr. Hanson said that after his cut, the budget was further reduced to $2.307; approximately $20,000. In response to Commissioner Popelsky s question, Mr. Ferguson replied that there are no plans for Tam O Shanter in the upcoming fiscal year. 9

10 PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES - CONTINUED Mayor Noland thanked Mr. Ferguson for his assistance and understanding the position of the City. She also thanked him and his staff for continuing to attend the meetings at night. Mr. Hanson asked Mr. Ferguson to explain the certificate of use to the public. Mr. Ferguson said that in the past, the City issued occupational licenses. He explained the process for obtaining an occupational license; it went through a development review committee and everyone inspected the property for compliance with zoning, landscaping, etc. If any changes to bring the property to Code would be a condition for getting the license. A few years ago, the State passed Statute that it was no longer allowed; you cannot use business fees as a regulating device; therefore, the State ruled that this is strictly a tax. The business only has to come in and pay their tax; but you cannot regulate anything with it. In order to regulate the businesses, the cities have created a certificate of use. The City would have to adopt an ordinance that requires businesses to have a certificate of use which permits them to use the property for an intended purpose. Zoning will verify that the activity is allowed at the location the business is requesting; a structural inspector will make sure no work has been done without permits. There will also be an electrical inspection, fire inspection, a zoning inspection, and landscape architect inspection; all inspections will have to pass before the certificate of use is issued. Additionally, the certificate of use has to be in hand before the business tax is paid. There will be separate fees for the inspections which will be a benefit to the City in making sure the businesses are operating in safe situations and everything is improved to Code. Mayor Noland asked if the realtor will not have to pay their licenses. Mr. Ferguson replied that if things continue, in the next year or two, they will not be able to do business taxes. In the past, real estate agents had to pay a business tax. The State passed legislation that individual agents employed by brokers do not have to pay a business tax, but the broker has to pay a tax for the office. That does not hurt the City; as the broker and the real estate office will be licensed. He said that there are approximately 46 agents that are not required to pay the business tax; however, it is anticipated that the business tax requirement will completely cease and the City will be left with the certificate of use to insure safety compliance. Mayor Noland said that Tallahassee eliminates licenses and it reduces the revenue that comes to cities. Mr. Ferguson said that last year there was concern about renewals being behind. As of the end of April, out of 4600 business tax receipts to be renewed, there were 53 that were unresolved. Many that were not renewed are no longer in business; Staff has been purging the inactive businesses which have to be done to start the certificate of use program. He said that the reorganization has put the business licenses under Planning and Zoning and there is a chief planner assigned to it which has become more efficient. Commissioner Preston asked if the activity from Lighthouse Point was reflected. 10

11 PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES - CONTINUED Mr. Ferguson replied no, it is in addition. Commissioner Preston asked if there is any financial assistance, i.e. grants, tied to intergovernmental coordination. Mr. Ferguson replied not directly, but through that there is a lot of networking which allows us to become aware of grants; there is no revenue for simply going but by participating, there is assurance that the City does not miss out on grant opportunities. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES DIGITAL TIME STAMP: 08:04:28 Shelia Flemming-Portis, Information Technology Services Director, stated that she will review some key accomplishments. She thanked her peers and the other departments for their support. Mrs. Flemming-Portis outlined specific details on how the City has moved into the 21 st Century; the Service Desk, NOC (Network Operation Center), Virtualized server environment; and Cyberkey locking mechanism. Staffing - Mrs. Flemming-Portis said that the GIS Coordinator has been moved and the LAN Specialist from Fire to IT Services. All offices and equipment have been relocated from City Hall to the new location; however, the servers have not yet been moved which is part of the virtualization process. A Systems Specialist has been hired with both application and service desk skills. Administrative Staff is in training for Microsoft Certified IT Professional Certification. The GIS Coordinator, who was moved from Planning & Zoning to IT, is also a GIS Professional Certified employee. Continuing, Mrs. Flemming-Portis said that the LAN Specialist was reclassified to Infrastructure Specialist; there is tremendous responsibility in securing the network. She said that there are two (2) Admins with Network qualifications; furthermore, this will allow her to place emphasis on network solutions for the firewalls and the intrusion detection and prevention. Staffing Levels - Mrs. Flemming-Portis outlined the staffing levels from 2011 to A request has been added for a part-time GIS Intern which will help assist maintain service level for the GIS Coordinator because of the Infrastructure Utility Project that is being undertaken. Network/Security - IT Services - Mrs. Flemming-Portis outlined their accomplishments for network security; implemented Enterprise WiFi hotspot in City Hall; an additional access point has been included. This will support staff mobility and allow policy options for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). She also explained the increase of the Local and Area Wide Area Network which provides for a greater bandwidth capacity. Mrs. Flemming-Portis said the two (2) displays at the Network Operation Center (NOC) allow them to monitor various campuses around the City, the server s health, server room temperature, etc. Network Monitoring - Mrs. Flemming-Portis said that they monitor eight (8) campuses. She explained how current tools allow them to monitor the campuses, routers, switches, and ports. This allows for prioritization of upcoming projects. 11

12 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES - CONTINUED CyberKey - This allows Staff to manage the data center more securely. If a key is lost Staff can de-enroll that key without having to rekey a lock. It also allows tracking and reporting as far as who accessed various systems. Customer Service - The service desk was first implemented and has achieved a 90% penetration on the Windows account; over 266 users that can request service online. As of June 1 st, there have been over 1500 service requests; over 1200 have been closed. Also, they implemented the Desktop Authority; she outlined the use of this service. Network based inventory - Mrs. Flemming-Portis explained that this allows Staff to detect any devices on the network; however, it does not replace a physical inventory. It allows both approaches to be combined. Last year, Staff spent up to 80 hours to search devices on the network, but now, within 3-5 minutes, devices and software can be detected. GIS Utility Infrastructure Project - Mrs. Flemming-Portis said that the RFQ was just completed; there were nine (9) qualified responses and the top three (3) firms were ranked; and negotiations with these firms have now begun. Moreover, Staff has reached out to deploy GPS Units in the field to do hydrant maintenance which will replace paper collection and also monitor performance. Servers - Mrs. Flemming-Portis said that they are actively planning a virtualization project. Currently there are 33 servers; some are standalone PC s; in which three (3) were identified for retirement. A virtualization project will allow them to run physical servers in a virtualized environment. Mayor Noland left the meeting temporarily, at 8:17 p.m. Mrs. Flemming-Portis outlined the virtual servers and how they operate. She said this will eliminate a purchase of a server and reduce the amount of system administrator needed. Mayor Noland returned to the meeting. Desktop Support Statistics - Mrs. Flemming-Portis outlined the desktop support statistics. Mrs. Flemming-Portis said the FY2011/2012 budget was $1.6 million; the proposed budget is $1.2 million which is a 23% decrease. Projects in Motion - Mrs. Flemming-Portis outlined projects underway; utility billing, virtualization project, data center relocation; the web-site and Intranet; lobbyist project, and the certificate of use. Major FY Goals - Mrs. Flemming-Portis briefly highlighted the major goals for this fiscal year. She said that the telephone system will likely be deferred. Moreover, they are on track with 72% of projects from 2011/2012; 21% are in the planning stage. However, for FY12/13, they will continue to implement policies and procedures to meet 12

13 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES - CONTINUED auditing standards that follow industry best practices; establish and implement a data retention policy; additionally, there is probably a lot of data that can be removed and archived. Ms. Flemming-Portis continued outlining goals for the next fiscal year; to include more online payment options and pilot deployment for desktops (smaller more efficiency based desktops). Commissioner Popelsky asked that she comment on the backup system. Mrs. Flemming-Portis stated that Staff is currently doing a full backup to incremental backup and still relocating tapes offsite to another location. During virtualization, they will do disk to disk backup which is faster than tape. However, there will still be a form of tape for longer term storage, i.e. disaster recovery. Commissioner Miller asked to explain the utility project. Mrs. Flemming-Portis said that the GIS Utility Infrastructure project will take a lot of the artifacts and put it in GIS format; the water pipes and sewer system will be available in our GIS project. This will greatly assist the Planning and Development Services Division. Commissioner Miller inquired about the intern. Burgess Hanson, City Manager, replied that it has been cut. He further stated that the budget has decreased from the requested $1.5 million to $1.1 million. Mayor Noland inquired about interns that are not paid and whether they can be utilized. Mrs. Flemming-Portis said that they are available for this skill, but in working with the GIS Coordinator, he has been looking for a non-paid intern but has not been successful. There was one previously in Planning, but left for other employment; nevertheless, they will continue to look for a volunteer GIS intern. ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DIGITAL TIME STAMP: 08:28:10 Presentation Overview - Charles DaBrusco, Director of Environmental Services, said that over the past four (4) years, Department Heads have been tasked with reducing budgets. Within that time, approximately 20 positions have been eliminated. Budget Summary - Mr. DaBrusco said that the overall budget is down by 2.4%. Administration/Engineering Performance Measures - Mr. DaBrusco said that expenses have increased by $37,000; some positions were funded by the CRA which are no longer. Construction Project - Mr. DaBrusco said that the goal is to undertake projects at no cost. Pioneer Park is complete and two (2) LAP Projects are worth approximately $600,000 which was received this year. 13

14 ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES - CONTINUED Streets Maintenance - Mr. DaBrusco said that street sweeping was cut in half in Additionally, a street sweeper was eliminated as it was in very poor condition; nor were three (3) sweepers necessary. Now there are two (2) employees and the third employee was moved to wastewater. Commissioner Popelsky left the meeting temporarily. Utilities Maintenance - Mr. DaBrusco outlined how they were able to save money by doing more of the work themselves. Wastewater Treatment & Transmission Flows - Mr. DaBrusco said that all the water is sent to Broward County for treatment; however, the City is billed for every gallon. As of December 2011, the City completed a $1 million sewer lining project which has decreased the amount of water treated. This equates to $500,000 in one (1) year. $1.2 million was paid for the lining; which has repaid the City almost half of the associated work. Water Plant Performance Measures - Mr. DaBrusco said that Staff is close to starting the RO (Reverse Osmosis) Plant. They are currently dealing with a sulfide issue which should be handled within the next couple of weeks. He explained the notice was recently placed in the newspaper. They missed the date for the asbestos test; however, once the health Department advised them of it, they ran the test and it was fine. On another instance, the laboratory failed to sample two (2) contaminants. He said that the water is fine; it was only due to a missed test on a certain date. Key Accomplishments - Mr. DaBrusco outlined their key accomplishments for the Environmental Services Department. He said that they are hoping to receive Federal Funding for the Intracoastal Forcemain Project; otherwise, if it is not funded, the City will commence on its own. He commented on the Hillsboro Greenway Trail Improvements and how the ADA compliant sidewalks will have wheelchair accessibility onto a boat. Additionally, staff did three (3) lift station conversions and saved about $40,000 on the lift stations. He said that they have completed the backflow installation for all single family homes; and plan to implement the $25 inspection fee. Commissioner Popelsky returned to the meeting. Mayor Noland inquired about City Hall parking lot. Mr. DaBrusco replied that it is currently unfunded. He said that Staff is looking to redesign the parking lot; which he has a preliminary design. The plan is to expand the parking lot to the north, to make more parking. Burgess Hanson, City Manager, said that funding will be a part of the street surfacing bond. Mr. DaBrusco said once the preliminary design is finalized, they will go to final design. 14

15 SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING DIGITAL TIME STAMP: 08:39:00 Presentation Overview - Chad Grecsek, Assistant Director of Environmental Services, provided a brief overview of the budget presentation; Solid Waste Division, Recycling, Fleet Management, and the EECBG Grant Summary. Mr. Grecsek said that the overall budget is down significantly. He explained that the decrease is a testament to the decrease in disposal fees; however, they are working more efficiently and hope that expenses will be down in the future. There have been some capital expenses in recycling that are not being requested this year in the fleet. Mr. Grecsek said that Fleet Management has had a significant decrease due to various salaries being allocated to the Solid Waste/Recycling; approximately a 12% decrease. Commissioner Popelsky asked if they have considered a non for profit. Mr. Grecsek replied yes. One of the things they will look at this year is a possibility of a customer rebate. Solid Waste Division - Mr. Grecsek said that an assessment was done on the entire operation and there is room for improvements which are being implemented; to include an operational plan that outlines the steps to move toward a more sustainable Solid Waste Division. In addition to GPS route auditing, looking at billing software; and in customer service, and being able to verify missed pickups. Additionally, Mr. Grecsek explained the customer rebate; which will be based on the City receiving revenues through changes and the expenses balance, and then they will look at giving something back to the residents and businesses. He also commented on a recycling incentive program. Mr. Grecsek said that the collection for solid waste has gone down. In 2005/06 things were going well; as there was a lot of construction demolition debris; but it is on a decline. With the new program, staff is hoping to reduce solid waste and divert more to recycling and promote it more. Recycling Performance Measure - Mr. Grecsek said that at the upcoming City Commission Meeting, he will present an agenda item on the recycling incentive program, to approve a vendor. He said for those residents who recycle will receive rewards that can be redeemed for coupons at various stores in Deerfield. Furthermore, they will roll out single stream recycling carts instead of bins; residents will be rewarded on the amount they recycle. Staff hopes that residents can redeem coupons for $25; the current solid waste bill is approximately $24 monthly. In response to Commissioner Popelsky s question, Mr. Grecsek said that there are other cities using it. He said that the vendor the City will use is more locally targeted; as they will hire someone from Deerfield to locally monitor the program and make sure it works; the other companies do not do that. This company will have the person as a part of our Staff. He further commented on in kind events that they are not charging for. Fleet Management - Mr. Grecsek applauded Alan Savarese, Fleet Manager, for his work. His roles will be expanded this year as the administrator of the Citywide GPS Program. 15

16 SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING - CONTINUED Energy Efficiency Block Grant - Mr. Grecsek said that they are approaching the end of the grant and outlined the projects that have been completed. He said that most of the water is going toward the water plant as that is the highest energy user. There will be a $60,000 plus savings annually attributed to the pumps. Vice Mayor Ganz commented on the savings from the tipping fees that might happen due to the County and Wheelabrator; which could be substantial. Mr. Grecsek said that next year, that figure will be better. Currently, it is $67 per ton, but next year, it is proposed at $40 per ton. Also, the City is a part of the Resource Recovery Board, ILA, which is due to expire next July. Currently, the County is looking at $150 million plus in assets that have to be distributed in an equitable manner to all cities that participated; thus, there is potential for additional money. The recycling incentives will be paid for by the recycling grant, which is from the Resource Recovery Board. There are $40 million in reserves and they are considering giving back $20 million to the Cities. He said that they will advise them that they want the opportunity to use the funds as needed in the City; if so, it could be put towards needed areas. In response to Mayor Noland s question, Mr. Grecsek explained how the recycling incentive program will work; there will be a reader on the truck and inside each cart, there will be a radio frequency ID and every time the container is tipped, they will collect information on the specific location. Because of the GPS, they will know how many tips the drivers are doing, compared with the rest of the fleet; as well as good data on recycling rates. He reiterated that it is paid for by grants. Mr. Grecsek continued entertaining questions by the Commission. COMMISSION COMMENTS/QUESTIONS DIGITAL TIME STAMP: 8:51:53 Vice Mayor Ganz asked if there is any anticipated increase in taxes or the fire assessment fees. Mr. Hanson replied no, it is not being recommended it at this time; however, based on the Commission s input, they will have the ability to change that. Vice Mayor Ganz said that despite having an increase in spending, of the $2.4 million, $1 million is contributed to CDBG Funds which will directly benefit residents in need. He asked if the increase in the Road & Bridge Fund would be used for improving the City s infrastructures. Mr. Hanson replied yes, for street resurfacing, repaving and redesigning the City Hall parking lot. Funds will also come from the General Fund toward the bond. Commissioner Popelsky said that in the past that the CDBG was only for a few districts and asked if that is the same. 16

17 COMMISSION COMMENTS/QUESTIONS - CONTINUED Mr. Hanson replied yes. The target area is the same, but hopefully as the CRA Associates become more stabile, they will provide a presentation to the Commission of parameters for the City on CDBG. He said that some of the funds can be used outside of the target area; the largest portion is in District 2. PUBLIC TO BE HEARD DIGITAL TIME STAMP: 8:55:18 Caroline Morris, Executive Director of the Deerfield Beach Historical Society, 575 NW 47 th Terrace, Deerfield Beach, stated that she sent a request for funding which will not meet their needs, but will assist tremendously. She provided a brief background on the Historical Society and its contribution to the City. The Historical Society has almost shut down and for the past 5.5 years, the only employee is her, as a volunteer. She said that they no longer have a telephone or fax; the calls have been routed to her cell phone; they are doing everything possible to keep their doors open. Continuing, Ms. Morris said that they are training volunteers to provide tours of the Historical house. They get many visitors but not as much as they would like. She invited the public to visit the house. Additionally, they offer tours to schools and various organizations; but due to costs, she provides presentations as the schools. There is also a monthly lecture series between September and May which focuses on South Florida history. She outlined the City events that they participate in. Ms. Morris further stated that their archives are filled with photos, news clippings, and maps; which many students utilize for research and school projects. They also have college students who serve as interns. A Coral Springs school also contacted her asking for tours of the City; City Hall will also be included. In closing, Ms. Morris said that the City s history is rich and they love to share it and asked that the Commission consider supporting the local Historical Society. Vice Mayor Ganz said that in this current budget, $10,000 was budgeted, but the Historical Society did not request it in the 2011/2012 year. He said it was his understanding that they had already claimed it early in the year when the budget was completed. Ms. Morris said that she did request the funding and will resend the letter. She said that they did receive funding, because she recalls there being a different process this year. She further stated that she sent a letter a few weeks back requesting funding for next year. Burgess Hanson, City Manager, said that this year, funding for various organizations has been built into the Parks & Recreation budget. If there is a donor, they will route it to the proper department and funds are no longer in non-departmental. 17

18 ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:05 p.m. ATTEST: PEGGY NOLAND, MAYOR Ada Graham-Johnson, MMC, City Clerk 18