Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 09-15-08 special agenda - budget — reading text

14,14, 904.904. 0000 14, 904. 00 4011500536310940115005363109 58385 09/09/ 13/13/ 0707 Brown,Brown, BurdineBurdine & & Assoc.Assoc. GroundwaterGroundwater MoundingMounding AnalysisAnalysis 12/ 17/ 07 Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood Stormwater Separator Units 65, 400. 00 31, 745. 00 33, 655. 00 40115085383100 59675 48"48" StormStorm DrainDrain UptownUptown StationStation 190, 276. 57 190, 276. 57 40115795386358 40115795386358 6259062590 09/09/ 04/04/ 0808 Young'Young' ss ContractingContracting Carter's Erosion & Pipe Ductile Iron Pipe 44, 848. 38 44, 848. 38 40150655356361 62403 08/ 22/ 08 30, 930. 00 30, 930. 00 40150655356361 62637 09/ 08/ 08 C. W. Roberts Holmes Blvd. Paving 65, 000. 00 37, 311. 60 27, 688.40 40152205383400 58233 08/ 30/ 07 Tetra Tech Stormwater Utility Study 978, 389. 70 669, 164. 70 309, 225. 00 40154005356300 50332 01/ 13/ 06 Brown & Caldwell WWTP Engineering Services 71, 500. 00 33, 498. 00 38, 002. 00 40154145353100 61050 04/ 17/ 08 Hatch Mott MacDonald Engineering Services WWTP Hydra Service 59, 237. 50 59, 237. 50 40154235356402 56395 03/ 28/ 07 Pump 72, 635. 00 72, 635. 00 40154235356402 62411 08/ 25/ 08 NW Florida Underground Pumps at Pump Station # 2 Total - Utilities Fund 854, 031. 85 800. 00 - 800. 00 40312605343400 62634 09/ 08/ 08 HTE, Inc. Software Programming Total - Sanitation Fund 800. 00 Purchase Order Encumbrance Carry-Over - All Fundsl 1, 046, 184.74 requisition number; purchase order not yet issued 9/ 11/ 2008 11: 14 AM  TENTATIVE BUDGET Script for Public Hearing on Budget Mayor: State the following: The tentative budget for the City of Fort Walton Beach for FY 2008 -09 is 36, 570, 582, which is $ 40, 086 or 0. 1% less than the adopted FY 2007 -08 budget. Mayor: Open the Public Hearing and ask for comments on the tentative budget. Mayor: Close the Public Hearin. Mayor: Ask for a Motion and Second for Resolution 2008 -41 to adopt the tentative budget for the City of Fort Walton Beach for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2008 and ending September 30, 2009. Mayor: Ask for Council Discussion. Mayor: Ask for a Vote. Mayor: Upon adoption of the Resolution, the Mayor shall announce: The tentative budget for the City of Fort Walton Beach for FY 2008- 09 is $ 36,570, 582 with a tentative millage rate of 4.3361, which is 7.5% below the rollback rate of 4. 6883 mills. The proposed budget is subject to a second and final public hearing that will be held here at the City of Fort Walton Beach Council Chambers on Monday, September 22, 2008 at 5: 30pm.  MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 INTRODUCTION A special meeting of the City Council of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was held on Monday, September 15, 2008, at 5: 30 p. m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, with the following members present: Mayor Mike Anderson Councilmen: Mike Holmes, Virgil Miller, Dennis Reeves, Dr. Wayne Pullen, Jim Hartwell, and Mike Minich Absent: Bill Garvie Also Present: Joyce Shanahan, City Manager; Helen Spencer, City Clerk; Brandy Wunker, Finance Director; Toni Craig, City Attorney; and Department Directors PURPOSE The purpose of the Special Council meeting is to adopt the tentative millage rate and the tentative budget for Fiscal Year 2008/09. CALL TO ORDER The Mayor called the meeting to order. PLEDGE The Mayor led in the Pledge of Allegiance. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Mr. Reeves moved to approve the agenda as the business of the day. Mr. Minich seconded motion and it carried unanimously with Holmes, Miller, Reeves, Pullen, Hartwell, and Minich in favor (Garvie absent). RES. 2008 -40, ADOPTING THE TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATE FOR FY 2008/ 09 The Mayor read the resolution by title. A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2008 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2009; AND SETTING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. The Mayor stated the tentative Millage Rate for the City of Fort Walton Beach for Fiscal Year 2008/ 09 is 4. 3361 mills, which is 7. 5% below the rollback rate of 4. 6883 mills. The rollback rate is the millage rate that will provide the same ad valorem tax revenue as was levied during the prior year. The reason for setting the millage rate at 4. 3361 mills is to provide sufficient revenues to balance the General Fund budget. Brandy Wunker, Finance Director, advised that Res. 2008 -40 sets the tentative millage rate at 4. 3361 mills for FY 2008/ 09 and has been calculated based on changes recommended by Council during the August budget meetings, and remains below the rate advertised on the TRIM notice. Ms. Wunker advised Staff has prepared a brief power point presentation and introduced the Budget/ Grants Manager. Charlotte Dunworth, Budget/ Grants Manager, presented a brief overview that compared the proposed millage rate with the rate as it was before the changes made by Council and how a property owner's tax allocation would change from the prior year of 2007 to the current year of 2008. Special Council 9 -15 -08 RES. 08-40 (CONT) The Mayor opened the public hearing. Matthew Gaetz, 301 Brooks Street, discussed his concern regarding increasing the millage rate to generate revenue for non -essential expenses. Mr. Gaetz noted the City Manager and the City's department directors worked hard to remove items from the budget they deemed non- essential; then, according to Mr. Gaetz, the City Council raised the tax rate by adding back those items into the budget, and those add -backs, in his view, do not justify an increase in the tax rate in the City and do not justify raising taxes. Mr. Gaetz noted that the property values of citizens have decreased, and the taxable value is less than last year, and that when people have less, government should not take more. He discussed the difficult time citizens and business owners are having living day to day in this difficult economy, and Mr. Gaetz related the stories of several individuals who are feeling the crunch of the sluggish economy, and that fundamentally it is a choice between those items that are considered essential and those that are not; notably the funding for fireworks, two police vehicles, and retaining a fire captain. Mr. Gaetz thanked the Mayor and members of Council who took the time to speak with him and encouraged him to come to the meeting and to get involved. Kabe Woods, 240 Brooks Street, commended the City Manager and City Staff for their hard work to meet the challenges of lower property tax revenues, and commended Council for listening to the input of the citizens. Mr. Woods also stated his opinion that taxes can be reduced and suggested sponsorship funding be used for items such as the fireworks and events such as Kids Day. As there was no one else who wished to speak, the public hearing was closed. The Mayor asked for a motion and a second to adopt Res. 2008 -40 to set the tentative millage rate for the City of Fort Walton Beach at 4. 3361 for the Fiscal Year beginning October 1, 2008 and ending September 30, 2009. Mr. Minich moved to adopt Res. 2008 -40 to set the proposed millage rate for the City of Fort Walton Beach at 4.3361 for the Fiscal Year beginning October 1, 2008 and ending September 30, 2009. Mr. Hartwell seconded motion. The Mayor asked for Council discussion. Mr. Minich advised that Council spent many hours reviewing the budget and that each line item was gone through individually, discussed, and voted on. He informed the items that were added back into the budget were voted on, and that during the many hours of budget hearings, the public was not present. Mr. Minich noted that 24 permanent positions and six part -time positions were eliminated in the City, and the position of fire captain that was added back into the budget was an established position, not a new one. He further noted that the process was gone through and that Council added back only what the City Manager had originally proposed. Mr. Minich advised that Council is cognizant of the fact that they have to provide the citizens with the services they want at the lowest price possible, and that tough decisions have to be made and he believes this millage rate is fair. Mr. Hartwell defended the position of Council, stating that Council directed the City Manager to look at ways to reduce the budget and she and her staff presented Council with a document to work from with the guidance she was given. He advised that the items that were added back into the budget were originally recommended by the City Manager and taxes were not increased to add them back. Special Council 9 -15 -08 RES. 08 -40 ( CONT) Mr.