Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 11-26-2007 special agenda — reading text

last eight ( 8) years that included two new restrooms and new trails. However, there has not been an increase in I:;:t~ to a $ 150,000 employees. The Department was able to re- do Liza Jackson Park due I grant and to create a Sound Park with a $ 1. 7 million grant. I Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 10- 7 I  Parks and Recreation I: 10. 2 Alternative Service Deliverv ODtions E Finding: The Senior Citizens Center can be privatized and turned over to a private I concern that would charge fees that would cover costs. Given the low City resident participation this is an option that should be given serious consideration. The City I Manager' s recommended budget identifies two ( 2) choices for cost reduction, including a reduction of hours ($ 15, 667 reduction), and the closing of the Center ($ 78, 185 cost I reduction). I Recommendation # 39: Close the Senior Citizens Center and achieve the higher 1\ n levelofsavingsof$ 78, 185. ~ ~ I Finding: Jh \ The Library hours exceed the standard in the county. The City' s Library is I open a higher number of hours ( 64) than other libraries within the county. In order to be 11 consistent with the practices of others within the county system, and to save additional funds, a reduction in the number of hours that the Library is open should be considered. 40: Recommendation # Reduce the number of Library hours per week from 64 to f 50. An estimated $ 32, 000 annually would be saved. ~ I: E Finding: Revenue opportunities exist for the Department. The Parks and Recreation Department offers many services and should be appreciated for its excellent I contributions to the community. The Department should be encouraged to seek more user revenue for its services. There are a number of revenue opportunities associated I with the many recreation programs. The Department needs to explore them on a case- off the II by- case basis. As user-generated revenues are increased, pressure is taken its extra general fund. The Department should be rewarded by allowing it to keep I revenue in its budget for capital items or special expenses. I Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 10-8 I  Parks and Recreation This Department may always need a large subsidy from the General Fund, but the collection of user fees every effort should be made to minimize that subsidy through fees to non- by this Department. In particular, the Department needs to charge higher City residents, as many of the users of the facilities are non- citizens. Recommendation #41: Create an internal recreation user fee committee with a goal of raising an additional $ 75,000 in revenue in parks and recreation per year l- residents that use city facilities. particularly targeted at non-city t Finding: The Department has selected certain contracting services with I private providers but the city is subsidizing those private concerns under the existing agreements. needs to L 42: Recommendation # When appropriate, the Department re- consider its current private contractor relationships at the next negotiation opportunities. Essentially, the City needs to halt any city subsidies of operations to those private money making operations as soon as this is possible. C t in Finding: The Library contracts for landscaping services when the department I which it exists provides such services to all other units within the department. I 43: Recommendation # The Department should provide landscaping services to the Library and not hire a private contractor when those services can be provided I by Parks and Recreation Department with existing personnel. I I Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 10- 9 I  Parks and Recreation Finding: The museum is a small but important contribution to the heritage of the area. However, it more w logically should be operated by other public organizations. Recommendation #44: The City should consider transferring its museum to another organization. Given its importance to the Indian nations, one candidate is the t U. S. Park Service. Other candidates include local universities, creating a local non- profit m organization for this purpose, or transferring it to an Indian tribe. This would save the City $ 130, 000 per year. I I I: L: I I I I I Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 10- 10 E: E E 11. 0 Community Development I The Community Development Department is responsible for providing planning I and development services according to the Comprehensive Land Development Code. building plan reviews, inspections, permitting, code enforcement, I Staff engages in neighborhood involvement, and oversight of the Community Redevelopment Agency I CRA) and the Community Development Block Grant ( CDBG) program. The upcoming year will be one of change for the Community Development I Department. The City plans to outsource the CDBG program to the Okaloosa County Development Corporation in FY 2007- 08, rather than subsidizing the program as in past I has years. Further, a grant- funded position for the Waterfronts Florida grant program I expired and the position eliminated. 11. 1 Oraanization and Staffina I Eleven positions are shown in the Recommended City Budget, although only 10 t will be funded in the upcoming year. They include: CDS Director; Senior Planner; L Senior Staff Assistant; Planning Manager- Current (duties more like a zoning administrator); Building Code Official; Building Inspector; Code I nspector I and II; Planning/ Building/ Zoning Clerk; and, I CRA Principal Planner. The CDBG Specialist may be funded part- time, and the CRA Waterfront Planner I will not be funded. The Neighborhood Improvement Coordinator position is frozen. I;~ Exhibit 11- 1 on the following page represents the current structure as noted in the recommended City budget. I 1 Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 11- 1 I,,~ E  Community Development Ii Community Development I Services I CITY COUNCIL I CITY MANAGER I CDS DIRECTOR I I SENIOR STAFF ASSISTANT I NEIGHBORHOOD CURRENT PRINCIPAL IMPROVEMENT SENIOR PLANNING PLANNER - CRA 1" 1! 3 MANAGER ( 1) COORDINATOR 1*) PLANNER ( 1) 1) E BUILDING CODE OFFICIAL 1) E BUILDING INSPECTOR ( 1) I CODE INSPECTOR" ( 1) I CODE INSPECTOR 1( 1) I PLANNING & I ZONING CLERK 1) I Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 11- 2 I I E Community Development 11. 2 Maior Policies and ODerationallssues I Code Inspections I Finding: Staffing for code inspections is appropriate. Given the level of activity and the needs in the community, two ( 2) Code Inspector positions are appropriate. The I performance measures for this function indicate a high percentage ( 960/ 0) of complaints are resolved without intervention of the Code Enforcement Board. I Recommendation #45: Retain the current level of staffing for code inspections. I Finding: Performance measures for this Department are well conceived. It is clear I that a strong effort has been made to establish and maintain excellent performance measures in the Department. I Recommendation #46: Continue to implement performance measures as E established in Community Development. t Finding: Building inspections and plan reviews are completed in a timely manner.