Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 05-25-2010 Regular — reading text

Beach, FL 32459 37-  a t NUO k• r.; F O NN , ft B t IS stw H H i f i a O G e B aAV allau i-ng ll ' ' WtWt II.. LL 11 ee BB 1010 aoueyyaoueyy sgw0osgw0o 44 RR  CITY COUNCIL MEETING May 25, 2010 Consent Agenda Expenditure of Cemetery Perpetual Care Funds Synopsis: Funds replacement ofBrooks Cemetery fencing and cemetery maintenance utility vehicle Agenda Item Number: 8. 4  CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH MEMORANDUM DATE: May 12, 2010 TO: Robert T. Mearns, City Manager FROM: Jeff Peters, Recreation and Cultural Services Director SUBJECT: Use of Perpetual Care Funds for the Beal Memorial Cemetery 1. BACKGROUND:. 1. 1 The City of Fort Walton Beach has a Perpetual Care Fund set up for the Beal Memorial Cemetery and Brooks Cemetery to use for capital projects as well as overall expenses once all plots are sold. The Cemetery Perpetual Care Fund is funded with 20% transfers from plot sales, 25% of niche /crypt sales, and interest income. 1. 2 As of September 30, 2009 the fund has a balance of $1. 87M. The entire cemetery grounds are a total of forty acres. Currently, only twenty acres of land are developed and of those twenty acres, ten acres are occupied. 1. 3 The use of funding from the Perpetual Care Fund requires City Council approval. 2. DISCUSSION: 2. 1 The Cemetery Division utilizes a gas powered cart for maintenance that has recently been removed from the fleet due to high maintenance costs to repair. The total cost of replacement for a new maintenance cart is approximately $ 7, 500. . 2. 2 The Brooks Cemetery property is surrounded with very old and deteriorating chain link fencing that needs to be replaced. The linear footage of the fencing totals 1, 012 ft. Replacement of the 4' fencing and removal of old fencing will cost $ 9, 200 and would be a black vinyl coated chain link fence. 3. FINANCIAL INFORMATION: 3. 1 A budget transfer from the Perpetual Care Fund will be made in order to cover the cost of the cart and the fence. The Fund' s available balance is $ 1. 87M. 39- 4. RECOMMENDATION:----,..' - 4. 1 Staff is requesting approval of funds from the Cemetery Perpetual Care Fund to: 4. 1. 1 Purchase a gas powered maintenance cart for daily operation of the cemeteries totaling $7, 100 4. 1. 2 Install black vinyl fencing around the perimeter of the Brooks Cemetery totaling $ 9, 200 5. SIGNATURE BLOCK: 5. 1 Submitted By: Jeff Peters',-'Recreation Director 5. 2 Reviewed and Concur: Brand er, Finance Director 5. 3 Reviewed for Agenda ert T. Mearns, City Manager 40-  CITY COUNCIL MEETING May 25, 2010 Consent Agenda Revisions to Section 17, Personnel Policies and Regulations Synopsis: Aligns City policy with recently enacted state law for employees participating in Reserves or National Guard Agenda Item Number: 8. 5  CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH MEMORANDUM DATE: May 11, 2010 TO: Robert T. Mearns, City Manager FROM: Fran Diedrich, Administrative Services Director SUBJECT: Revised Section 17 — Personnel Rules and Regulations —Military Leave 1. Background 1. 1 Pay for City employees on training exercises and active military duty is addressed in Personnel Policy and Procedure Section 17. During the last legislative session, CS /SB 464 was approved increasing the number of working days to be paid annually to state and local government employees engaged in military training. This Section also requires revision to provide further clarification as to how active military leaves of absence should be addressed by the City. 2. Discussion 2. 1 Based on the approved legislation, Section 17 of the Personnel Rules and Regulations must be revised to allow 240 hours of pay annually for employees participating in training with the Reserve or National Guard effective July 1, 2010. 2. 2 Also, Section 17 needs to make clear the conditions required and benefits provided for City employees who are currently members of the Reserve or National Guard who are called to active military duty. 2. 3 Finally, rules are provided for employees who were not active members of the Reserves or. National Guard who voluntarily join the Reserves or National Guard or are drafted to active military duty. These employees will not receive the same level of benefits as those who were active Reserve or National Guard members, but will be eligible, pursuant to Federal law, for reemployment to their position once they return from active military duty. 3. Financial 3. 1 Although these costs are actually covered by the positions' budgeted annual salary, this unfunded mandate could increase required costs to the City for employees on leave for training by 43% as well as administrative 41- Page 2 Revised Section 17 Personnel Rules and Regulations —Military Leave costs to hire additional personnel to cover the employee' s absences. Costs to date for FY 2009/ 10 absences for military Reserve and National Guard are $ 13, 599. 4. Recommendation 4. 1 As this legislation will become law effective July 1, 2010 and based on the need to better define the benefits approved by the City for employees who are currently participating in the Reserves and National Guard when called to active military duty, we are recommending approval of revised Section 17 of the City of Fort Walton Beach Personnel Rules and Regulations. R Submitted by: Fran biedrich.,Administrative Services Director Reviewed for Agenda: o ert . Mearns, City Manager 42-  SECTION 17 MILITARY LEAVE 17. 01 LEAVE FOR RESERVE OR NATIONAL GUARD TRAINING All employees who are commissioned reserve officers or reserve enlisted personnel in the United States military or naval service or members of the National Guard shall be entitled to leaves of absence from their respective duties, without loss of pay, time or efficiency rating, on all days during which they shall be engaged in field or coast defense exercise or other training ordered under the provisions of the United States military or naval training regulations for such personnel when assigned to active or inactive duty; provided, however, that leaves of absence granted as a 1" matter of legal right under the provisions of this section shall not exceed seveRtee" ( days two hundred forty (240) working hours in any fiscal year ( 10/ 01 — 09/ 30). Request for military leave shall be submitted in writing with a copy of the military orders attached thereto at least one ( 1) month ( if possible) prior to the commencement date of the proposed leave. Employees on authorized military leave will continue to receive all benefits that applied - SeVentee ( 17) day leave. Any hours for military prior to their commencement of leave dig th8 leave less than eight (8) hours shall be considered one ( 1) day. Any early return to work will only be authorized if military orders so state. two ( 2) day&.- ARy heum for FnilitaFy leave less thaR eight ( 8) hours shall be GORSiddered GRe44-) Any early F8tUFR te work will 9Rly be autheFized Of military eFders so st Absences for Reserve or National Guard training exceeding the two hundred forty hour cap may, upon request of the employee be paid with the employee' s accrued vacation leave or may be taken as leave without pay up to a maximum of 30 days in any fiscal year. 17. 02 LEAVE FOR ACTIVE MILITARY SERVICE i6e shall receive f Employees who are Galled Tlit - h ' S theFeafteF, `."