Fort Walton Beach Council minutes — 05-10-08 special minutes — reading text

117 MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA MAY 10, 2008 INTRODUCTION The City Council of Fort Walton Beach, Florida held a Strategic Planning Session at a Special Council meeting on Saturday, May 10, 2008 from 8: 00 a. m. to 2: 00 p. m. at the Fort Walton Beach Senior Citizens Center located at 31 Memorial Parkway, SW, with the following present: Mayor Mike Anderson Councilmen: Mike Holmes; Dennis Reeves; Bill Garvie, Mayor Pro Tem; Dr. Wayne Pullen; Jim Hartwell; and Mike Minich Absent: Virgil Miller Also Present: Joyce Shanahan, City Manager; Helen Spencer, City Clerk; Brandy Wunker, Interim Finance Director; Department Directors; and Super Focus Group: Dick Gercak, and Kabe Ray Seip, Woods Facilitator: Dr. Herb Marlowe, Jr., Ph. D. PURPOSE Strategic Planning Meeting - Strategic Assessment facilitated by Dr. Herb Marlowe. CALL TO ORDER The Mayor called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Mayor led in the Pledge of Allegiance. STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT Dr. Marlowe noted the purpose of the session today to talk about a multi- year strategic plan, that the budget process will decide what parts of the plan will get resources in a given year, and asked that Council focus on whether or not they want a particular goal. He went over the process that he will present each slide and poll as they go along, and noted two votes out will begin to close discussion. He pointed out the guideline with the list of goals, strategy, and choices for discussion; then Council will vote on the items that are a priority in order to give staff guidance. Discussion and the polling vote began on the choices for each of the strategies. GOAL: PROVIDE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT PUBLIC SERVICES Strateav: Examine the cost/benefits of larae scale structural chanaes Choices: Conduct law enforcement cost/benefit analysis of contract with Sheriff Vote: 1. High priority - 140/0 2. Yes - 570/ 0 3. No - 140/0 4. Table for future discussion - 140/0 Continue review of fire consolidation. Vote: 1. High priority - 71 % 2. Yes - 290/ 0 3. No - 00/0 4. Table for future discussion - 00/0 118 Strategic Planning Session 5- 1 0- 08 Strateqy: Examine the cost/benefits of larae scale structural chanaes Choices cont: Examine functional consolidation or partnership opportunities such as wastewater treatment. Vote: 1. High priority - 570/ 0 2. Yes - 140/0 3. No - 140/0 4. Table for future discussion - 140/0 Support a county-wide discussion of whether some form of unified government should be examined. Vote: 1. 2. 3. 4. High priority - 00/0 Yes - 430/ No - 430/0 0 Table for future discussion - 140/0 J As there was no majority endorsement, discussion included concerns over losing home town rule authority, and the belief expressed that the door should be left open for discussion then make a decision. Mayor Anderson and Dr. Pullen expressed the desire to change their vote. Re-Vote: 1. High priority - 00/0 2. Yes - 140/ 0 3. No - 860/0 4. Table for future discussion - 00/0 Support a three city regional discussion of whether some form of unified government should be examined. Vote: 1. High priority - 140/0 2. Yes - 710/ 0 3. No - 140/0 4. Table for future discussion - 00/ 0 Examine the possibility of contracting some software services with the County. Vote: 1. High priority - 140/0 2. Yes - 860/0 3. No - 00/0 4. Table for future discussion - 00/0 Consider annexation/ merging of cities and/ or incorporated areas in South Okaloosa County and restructure, or combine, whichever is appropriate, existing departments to provide public services. Vote: 1. High priority - 140/0 2. Yes - 570/ 0 3. No - 290/0 4. Table for future discussion - 0 0/0 Strateay: Examine internal efficiency oDDortunities Choices: Conduct departmental operational reviews with varying levels of resource availability. U Vote: 1. High priority - 140/0 2. Yes - 570/0 3. No - 290/0 4. Table for future discussion - 00/0 Discussion was held on the intent of the reviews to be done internally not by outside firms and that the reviews will be a broader scope of the individual departments that go beyond the normal budget review. Strategic Planning Session 5- 1 0- 08 119 Strateay: Examine internal efficiency oDDortunities Choices cont: Establish expert citizen review group for selected large departments that would focus on service necessity and service delivery satisfaction. Vote: 1. High priority - 00/0 2. Yes - 140/0 3. No - 860/0 4. Table for future discussion - 00/0 Discussion included views that disagreed with formalizing a citizen group for review of departments which would create another level of oversight. Conduct comparative review and provide report on staffing levels and structure for comparable cities. Vote: 1. High priority - 00/0 2. Yes - 00/ 0 3. No - 1000/0 4. Table for future discussion - 00/ 0 It was noted that the City has already looked at the level of service compared to others. Strateay: Examine outsourcina oDDortunities Choices: Annually review consultant's report on outsourcing to determine if there are actions the City should be considering. Vote: 1. High priority - 430/0 2. Yes - 570/0 3. No - 00/0 4. Table for future discussion - 00/0 Identify and develop internal contract administration skills for managing outsourced activities. Vote: 1. High priority - 140/0 2. Yes - 570/ 0 3. No - 140/0 4. Table for future discussion - 140/0 StrateQV: Adopt human resource policies and practices that facilitate the aoals of the strateQic Dlan. Choices: Review pension approaches, long term financial trends and alternatives. Vote: 1. High priority - 00/0 2. Yes - 710/ 0 3. No - 290/0 4. Table for future discussion - 00/ 0 The City Manager noted this is being done and some alternative approaches will be brought to Council during the budget process. Examine alternative compensation approaches such as lump sum bonuses. Vote: 1. High priority - 00/0 2. Yes - 710/ 0 3. No - 290/0 4. Table for future discussion - 00/ 0 120 Strategic Planning Session 5- 1 0- 08 Strateay: AdoDt human resource Dolicies and Dractices that facilitate the aoals of the strateaic Dlan. Choices cont: Examine health care and benefit approaches both in terms of employer share of cost and alternative approaches. Vote: 1. High priority - 00/0 2. Yes - 860/ 0 3. No - 00/ 0 4. Table for future discussion - 140/0 Reexamine health and benefit packages for new hires. Vote: 1. High priority - 290/0 2. Yes - 570/0 3. No - 140/0 4. Table for future discussion - 00/0 Lift accrual caps in lieu of additional compensation. Vote: 1. High priority - 00/ 0 2. Yes - 140/0 3. No - 710/0 4. Table for future discussion - 140/0 Examine feasibility of employee leasing. Vote: 1. High priority - 290/0 2. Yes - 290lc. 3. No - 430/0 4. Table for future discussion - 00/ 0 Establish salary cap for City positions. Vote: 1. High priority - 140/0 2. Yes - 430/ 0 3. No - 430/0 4. Table for future discussion - 00/0 It was noted that a majority voted to support something that is already in place and suggested there be a revote with a yes vote for a change and a no vote if satisfied. Re- vote: 1. High priority - 00/0 2. Yes - 140/0 3. No - 860/ 0 4. Table for future discussion - 00/ 0 Strateay: Clarify role. authority and reDortina lines for Council aDDointed committees. Choice: I Develop guidance document on Council appointed committees that will clarify role and authorities, vJ reporting lines and other operational issues. Vote: 1. High priority - 140/ 0 2. Yes - 430/ 0 3. No - 430/0 4. Table for future discussion - 00/0 Strategic Planning Session 5- 1 0- 08 121 Strateay: Clarify role. authority and reDortina lines for Council aDDointed committees. Choice cont: Discussion included the views expressed that the committees feel they are ineffective and Council does not listen to them that it is difficult to get people to serve; the desire for a quarterly report; the need for clarification on the circumstances when there is disagreement between the staff and the committee recommendation. Dick Gercak, former Municipal Planning Board member, noted a committee member can only speak on what was approved by the Committee, RECESS The meeting took a break at 9: 30 a. m. RECONVENE The meeting reconvened at 9: 45 a. m. GOAL: PROTECT THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT Strateay: Continue to meet all environmental reaulations. Choices: Maintain sufficient staffing or contracted resources to be able to meet all environmental regulations. Vote: 1. High priority - 290/0 2. Yes - 710/0 3. No - 00/0 4. Table for future discussion - 00/0 Re- establish curbside recycling. Vote: 1. High priority - 00/0 2. Yes - 290/0 3. No - 710/0 4. Table for future discussion - 00/0 Strateay: Create a Stormwater Utility Choice: Prepare analysis and legislation to create utility. Vote: 1. High