Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 12-11-2007 regular agenda — reading text

and said to the best of their understanding it is indeed intended to be kept as a historic site and interpreted as such. She said should the City decide at some point in the future that it would no longer be an historic site and represented in the City in that way, it is practically a reverter clause where the descendents of the families could reclaim that property if it were ever to be considered for any other type of use. She further confirmed in order for the City to own the mound, it has to be kept and maintained as an historic site. It was questioned whether the County had been approached about funding. The City Manager said the City has not specifically approached the County about providing funding but there is a museum co- operative forming and there may be some funding available. Mr. Minich moved to maintain the museum as is and direct staff to investigate other funding mechanisms and cost saving measures. Mr. Holmes seconded motion. Discussion included expressions on the importance of taking care of the temple mound and the City' s responsibility to preserve the past, it was suggested that the TDC be approached as a source of funding because it is a large tourist attraction and that other .sources for funding to maintain the history of the Native Americans be investigated. The Mayor called for the vote on the motion and it carried unanimously with Holmes, Miller, Reeves, Garvie, Pullen, Hartwell, and Minich in favor. Recommendation # 40 - Reduce the number of library hours from 64 to 50 to save approximately 32, 000. The City Manager said that was explored as part of the budget for FY 07- 08 and it was felt they could maintain the current level of service given the total expenses. 2 1 S8cial Council 11- 26- 07 STUDY cont. The City Manager said she has limited agreement with the recommendation subject to availability of funds during the FY 08- 09 budget process. She mentioned the City' s library is open more hours than any other library in the co- operative, and the funding is tied in some fashion to total circulation so if the hours are limited then the funding from the library co- operative will be impacted. She said staff suggests they be given additional time to explore it during the development of the FY 08- 09 budget and come forward with a recommendation in August. In response to the question on whether the amount of funds received from the co- operative is based on the amount of funds from the City, the City Manager explained that the formula is complicated and the amount of funds is a factor of the formula. Harvey Hall, 276 Beachview Drive, commented that reduced hours at the library would interfere with their volunteer tax aid for AARP and mentioned that the Emerald Coast Computer Society teach classes every Thursday evening free of charge. Dr. Pullen moved to maintain the Library hours as is and re- evaluate it during the FY 08- 09 budget process. Mr. Holmes seconded motion and it carried unanimously with Holmes, Miller, Reeves, Garvie, Pullen, Hartwell, and Minich in favor. RECESS The meeting recessed at 7: 10 p. m. RECONVENE The meeting reconvened at 7: 16 p. m. It was suggested recommendation # 2 to change the formal City organizational chart to reflect the Finance Director as a direct report to the City Manager, would be more appropriate for discussion during the Charter review. It was noted that the recommendation is to correct the organizational chart to reflect what it says in the Charter that the Finance Director reports to the City Manager. The City Manager expressed her belief that is what is in the Charter. She said currently there is a dashed line with the City Manager and she believed Dr. Long is suggesting a solid line report. Dr. Long was asked if a dashed line is communicating and a solid line is control or direct report. Dr. Long replied that is a fair statement. He explained in terms of their independent reading of the Charter it appears that clearly Council has the privilege to appoint the Finance Director position and if you delve deeper it appears that the language indicates that it would be under the administrative direction of the City Manager. He said in concert with other communities and what appears to them in terms of the reading, that is what it is trying to communicate and it would be in their view a good practice which is why they are suggesting that it be a solid line where there is direct report and there is a performance evaluation completed by the City Manager who has that kind of overall responsibility for managing the municipality. He said a dotted line implies and communicates that it is more of keeping the person informed and communicating in various ways but not as a direct report. Confusion was expressed over the process of having a Charter Officer hired and fired by City Council but reporting to the City Manager and it was questioned whether a solid line would clean up the way the Charter is currently written. Dr. Long was asked his finding. Dr. Long responded they did not see a major conflict but it is a bit unusual that the Council appoints the Finance Director directly rather than being hired by the City Manager, but that is what the Charter says. He said from their perspective, a reasonable reading of the Charter was that the Finance Director, in spite of being appointed by the Council appears to have direct line reporting through the City Manager who has administrative responsibility over that position. He said it may be the Council' s interest to try to make it more clear through a review of the Charter and language review so there is not a variable of interpretations. He said common practice in cities is to have the Council appoint the City Manager under Council/ Manager form of government and then the Finance Director is treated as other Department Heads. Special Council 11- 26- 07 219 STU DY cont. An explanation was requested on the meaning of the impact of efficiency, effectiveness, productivity and proper work relationships. It was commented that it will improve the efficiencies of the organization. Dr. Long explained it enhances the manner in which information flows to Council. He said other cities have concluded that the best way is to have the information come through a singlle source and it is just a more efficient way, in their view, of having information flowing. The question was asked if every city is run by one person or if the Council should have the freedom of input from any City employee and it was commented that every employee works for Council. Mr. Minich called a point of order and stated that it is time for questions for clarification and not to make statements of debate where there is no motion on the floor. Dr. Pullen called a point of order that Council is here to try to bring out points and should be able to discuss. The Mayor said discussion will come when there is a motion and asked if there is a question for Dr. Long. Dr. Long was asked if the City is better served by input by all employees. Dr. Long replied, as is traditional with other cities, the input is usually structured. He said there is benefit in having an open environment which the City has, not only oral information flow but also written. He said in many respects that is good but they are holding the City Manager position accountable and that is typically the Council' s responsibility. He said it makes things less confusing to have a sing~e source of information and recommendations. He said they are served in the sense that it makes sure that it is an open environment so that information is not stopped and suppressed. He said there are various ways that cities structure that information and the manner in which the information does flow. The Mayor thought that the pros and cons of the organizational structure is more appropriate for the Charter review. He noted Dr. Long suggests based on his interpretation of the Charter, that it is a solid line from the Finance Director. He differed with the comment that all employees work for Council; that only four work for Council and the rest work for the City Manager. Kabe Woods, 240 Brooks Street, expressed agreement with the position that the Finance Director reports to the City Manager. He pointed out the report mentioned an internal audit function that may report directly to Council and believed that is a powerful tool that can be used in an organized, non- threatening way. Harvey Hall, 276 Beachview Drive, commented on the volumes of paperwork Council receives prior to a meeting and voiced his impression that the way the system is set up that the City Manager runs the Council instead of Council running the City Manager. The City Attorney mentioned that Section 19 of the Charter allows Council the rights and the duties to prescribe, distribute, and discontinue the functions and duties of departrnents, boards, authorities, and offices. She said Council does have the authority to set out some of the duties and responsibilities of the Finance Director without making a complete change to the Charter. She further confirmed to make a change in a Charter position in the Charter would take a referendum. The question was asked if the Charter also states that the Finance Director does work under the supervision of the City Manager. The City Attorney replied in the affirmative. The question of procedure was posed and whether Council will go through each recommendation. The City Manager suggested Council proceed page by page and address any questions, and if there are any motions to approve, staff suggests Council approve staff recommendation. Dr. Long was asked if reducing the departments from 14 to 11 would accomplish anything significant. Dr. Long replied not as significant as they could but it is a marginal improvernent. 2 2 sOcial Council 11- 26- 07 STUDY cont. The question was asked if an Administrative Services Department comprised of Human Resources, Information Technology, Purchasing and Public Information was formed, if another position is added being and how the Department Heads would then be treated. Dr. Long replied that would be a decision of Council. He said the concept is to have one of those Directors to step up into that position, not to add a position. The question was asked if the employees who would no longer be Department Heads would be paid as Department Heads, would the City save money, and would the employees continue to perform their current functions. Dr. Long said in the short- term typically there is not a savings, in the long- term there may be some savings when there is a re- evaluation through a classification study or compensation review. The City Manager stated the idea, if implemented, is to take those individuals no longer Department Directors and call them Manager and she would not propose doing anything different with their pay. She would suggest that the market for those particular positions be reviewed to look at the duties and responsibilities, and then evaluate it. She would not propose doing anything differently at this time other than the merit reviews and when they have a pay and classification review, or if there is a vacancy, they would re- evaluate at that time. Concern was expressed that it will not save money and will become a situation of " grade creep" and