Fort Walton Beach Council minutes — 08-13-1991 Workshop — reading text

249 MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL IDRKSHOP MEETING OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 13, 1991 INTRODUCTION A workshop meeting of the City Council of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was held on Tuesday, August 13, 1991, at I 5: 30 p. m., in the Council Chambers at City Hall, with the following members present: Mayor William J. Roberts, III Councilmen: Cissy Wyninegar, Mayor Pro Tempore Nick Nicholson Bob Campbell Pete Smith Chris Gibson Tom Maney John Hambleton Also Present: Chuck Keeler, City Manager; Helen Spencer, City Clerk; Charlie Evans, Finance Director; Department Heads; Media CALL TO ORDER The Mayor Pro Tem called the workshop meeting to order for the purpose of reviewing the budget. The workshop meeting was properly advertised. PROPOSED BUDGET The MayorPro Tem reminded Council of a workshop scheduled Thursday, August 15, at 7 : 00 a. m. to review non- departmental expenditures. The City Clerk commented a list of each of the organizations requesting money from the City was passed around, and she noted they had been grouped into three different categories: Economic, Arts, and Human Services. The City Clerk informed all of the people had been called and they will be at the meeting scheduled August 15 at 7: 00 a. m. She felt it would be too many to cover in one hour and suggested scheduling three different meetings. She remarked she had also passed around a request from the Better Business Council and the Chamber of Commerce which Council has not had requests from before. It was discussed and decided to review the Arts Group at the meeting scheduled August 15, and meetings were scheduled Monday, August 19, at 5: 30 p. m. to review the I Human Services Group, p. m. The to and Tuesday, review the Economic August 20, at 5 : 30 Group. City Manager noted Council received their proposed budgets back. and he pointed out all the errors had been corrected. He stated the shortfall in the proposed budget of $ 170, 000 is now $ 61, 000, and another $ 40, 000 reduction was found, and tomorrow morning it will be 21, 000. He stated the common sense millage rate he recommends now is 6 mills, and will project a $ 280, 000 loss in the budget. 250 8- 13- 91 CITY MANAGER' S REMARKS The City Manager responded to a memo delivered to Mayor, Council, and City Manager dated August 11, 1991, with the subject: Budget Discussion Requested By T. Maney for August 13, ( referenced memo is included in the Regular Council Meeting Minutes of 8- 13- 91). He stated the memo mentioned last winter, Council spent several months developing ideas and concepts for short and long term improvements in both revenue enhancement and cost cutting. As far as he is concerned, Council did not complete the task, and those meetings ended without any conclusion or instruction to the City Manager. It appeared Council became frustrated and ended their deliberations by discontinuing the meetings. Many of the ideas discussed by Council during their deliberations were staff recommendations which originated from a staff effort conducted years prior two to last winter' s workshops. The most significant, positive result of the Council Workshops was the acceptance of a staff recommendation which has been made several times during the past few years and included in the current budget to increase golf course fees. year However, enactment of the golf course fee increase took some time to become effective and resulted in a revenue reduction for fiscal year 1991. As for the City Manager' s failure to " on his own" immediately delegate the daily operational management of the City to the Assistant City Manager. then develop an in depth cost/ benefit analyses of the options to bring to Council for deliberation, in his opinion this would not have resulted in solving the City' s real or perceived financial problems and would have been grossly presumptuous for the Manager to have become a one man problem solver, leaving his mandated duties to the Assistant without Council authority. In fact, the question of credibility arises. Formal studies of the type suggested should be conducted by a credible consulting firm. The solid waste problem has been and is one of the most serious concerns this City Manager has. He has been working on the issue for at least the past three years. In his opinion, he has spent an inordinate amount of time - including after regular office hours and weekends attempting to find a more cost effective program. Without going into the different approaches to the problem he has considered, many of which the Council was apprised, he has yet to find a solution that would decrease the financial impact, when comparing it with the present system we find ourselves involved with. Reference to the Bay County Incinerator and the Council Member' s effort is commendable. However, he has worked on that approach a couple of years ago and developed a cost analysis on transfer/ transportation of the solid waste using both in- house and contractors quotes in providing the service.  251 8- 13- 91 CITY MANAGER ( CONI'.) The City Manager continued, the results indicated cost factors that exceed expenditures which were current at the time for solid waste transfer/ disposal. All of this was presented to Council. In the recent involvement with Bay County and the contractor who indicated he could " beat" the present Waste Management/ Okaloosa County fees. Council authorized the distribution of I Request for Proposals. Bay County The contractor did not submit a proposal primarily because his plan was to perform the service at a cost