Good afternoon everybody. Welcome to our first um year 26 budget workshop. The date is July 20. Sorry, July 10th, 2025. The time is now 1:39. Madame Clerk, roll call.
Commissioner Baz, I'm here. Vice Mayor Kelly, present. Commissioner Santiago, here. Mayor Taylor here. As we stand for invocation led by assistant city manager, Mr. Bow our heads. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day, Lord God. We pray,
Father God, you can you give each and every one of us, Lord God, wisdom and revelation on us, Lord God, as we move forward with the great vision of this city. Pray for each commissioner. We pray for the mayor, Lord God. Pray for the clerk and our city manager, Lord God, and each director and staff that's here participating. But this be a
blessing to be, Lord God, for the progress and the wealth of the city. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice
for all. All right. We're going to first start off with our public comments. Public comments are open. Madam clerk, do we have any online comments or writeins? Um, no, Mr. Mayor. All right. Public comments is open.
Public comments is closed. So, I'll turn it over into the hands of our city manager, who would then go ahead and um introduce Mr. Anathan. Good afternoon, everyone. Um I will turn this over to Mr. Robert Anathan, our
budget administrator. We also have all of our department heads here. So if you have any questions to go into detail, they will be available to answer any questions and um discuss their budget as well. Mr. Anathan. Hi. Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor, Mr. Vice
Mayor, Commissioners, Bob Anathan, Budget. Uh welcome to the initial round first workshop of FY26 budget. I've experienced a lot of rejection my life, but I've never had so many people turn their backs on me at once. I I feel safer behind them.
Yes. Okay. We've tried to make good use of your time. We've tried to ex streamline this a little bit. So, we're going to use a slightly different process we than we've used in prior years. As you're going to see, the budget presentation that I'm going to do up front is broken
in two parts. I'm going to cover the f various funds so you get a sense of the overall fiscal health of the city. Then we're going to go through each of the budget uh each of the divisions for the divisions. I will hit the high points if you have any questions. All the department heads are ready to answer
those questions and then we'll at the end we'll have uh session we need to uh work on two things. One will be commission travel. Second will be special events and possibly also military. Okay. I wish something that was intended.
Why you doing that, Mr. Anathan? Yes, sir. Madam manager, is there a different budget book? Because I'm sorry. Can I address that? There were minor changes. No, that that's not my question. So, my question is a more detailed because a
lot of these things are general fund. I have other. No, not general fund. Um, yeah, general fund revenue. So, I have other, but it's nothing there. What page are you referring to? Eight. Like a breakdown of what that other is. And that's in a lot of departments. You
have other other So, all of the departments do have a other um line item, but once we get to those departments, they can explain to you what normally comes from those other line items. Right. If I may add to that for there are not other lines for revenue. Uh what
there are is for each of the divisions there is a line called other. It's part of your backup. We can flip to it if you want to actually explore what's in there. So we'll do that. Okay. Yes sir. Okay. What we're talking about is the
timeline. The timeline that we're talking about is as on the screen. This is a workshop today. We do have a requirement for a second workshop. I said tenative. It's going to be sometime in the next two weeks for the moment. I've just shown it for Tuesday the 15th.
uh the on the 23rd at the second budget meeting of the month uh you will have to adopt a budget that is to be submitted to the state by the 31st of July and also millage rate. Uh the state will take a look at it. We'll come back in in
August either either accepting it or uh providing guidance. uh you will have two hearings in September to either accept the state's guidance or to uh possibly modify it. If you choose that, it will then go back to the state for another
review. If you accept the state's guidance, uh it does not have to be resubmitted to the state. Uh there will be a submission of a presentation to you all of a five-year plan in October. There are no questions that I'll move
on. agenda as I said breaks into three parts actually four parts actually going to cover the highlights very quickly I'm going to take you through a fund overview so that you get a sense of the overall fiscal health of the city then
we're going to go through each of the divisions we have objectives and then the expense and mayor to your point in each of the divisional budgets there is a line called another and that line picks up all the things like office supplies and so forth and so on. If any
of the commissioners wish to explore it, it's in your backup and we'll flip to that page for discussion. So, it will be there. After that completion of the divisions, we'll uh have a discussion on special events uh commission travel and
also military. Okay. the highlights that we have in the uh budget right now. We've recommended a 2% reduction of the millage rate to 8.9797. I'll explain the rationale for that recommendation as we get further in. Other things, other good news is we will
have paid off the county water debt as of uh August. So, we'll no longer have a million million half dollar burden on the water store fund each month. You'll see a plan that has 11.4 million of capital proposed for next year. I will tell you it's somewhat constrained due
to fund funding limitations and we'll have that discussion. Uh as you all know one of the very big items that we're just starting to work on now is the installation of the state-of-the-art financial system the discussion uh has in fact started this
week. budget includes the Arabian Night Festival at first in two decades and the proposal at the moment is to combine that with the city's 100th birthday in May. Uh one concern of the commission has been whether the ARPA funds would be fully expended. They will be fully
expended. The government will not get any funds back from us. Uh Chairo Lane project which has been a problem for many years will be pro uh completed by the end of this uh this budget. And one additional piece of information, you will have budget proposes five
additional patrol officers. The reason you get five is because you have a cops grant that will give you two more than we had in the last year's budget. We will also have two more. There's been a reorganiz re sorry about that
reorganization proposed where his recommendation is to take out the assistant chief and that salary will in fact uh be sufficient for two new patrol officers. So you take one position make two out of it and then an additional patrol officer will come from converting
one detective position into a patrol position. So total of five over what what was in the FY25 budget. Uh you'll see more highlights as we look at each of the divisions. Any questions on that, please? Yes, sir.
Yeah. Um thank you, Mr. Mayor. Can you make it clear to me and to my colleagues here, um you say before that the uh project from Carol Lane is going
to be finished by the end of the next year, budget 26. Yes sir. Why? Why? If that money is there from before and we already be, you know, fighting to
ending with that project. I don't understand that it has been bogged down in permitting and design and they're for the first time they're able to start move ahead with construction. Yeah. Last night if I'm not making a mistake here because if I can make if I
make the mistake I'm going to back up. But listen to me. I heard last night that we going to started to do you know to uh started today working in Caroline like five months ago we be hitting the same thing and we don't see anything yet
there and now we have here for the 26 by the end on the 20 it's nothing to laughing it's something for the city you're getting the and I'm representing the people from outside you're getting the expert up to talk to you right now sir
Good afternoon, mayor and commission. Adina Gross, CIP manager. Cap Kaido Lane project is a very detailed loan project that we have to comply with many um requirements from the county, the state and also we need
to meet all guidelines for safety since that's an industrial zone that has been deemed as a as a as a dump area. Basically, that's a lake field. For a storm water and
drainage project, it's going to take a lot of time for us to get into compliance while construction. We have started working. We have started cleaning. We have started cleaning the in the existing drainage. We have we
have been doing the water man. We have been doing the sewer lines. You don't see full construction because we are still missing permits for the county, some permissions to move forward, but we have been starting working since
February this year. Commissioner, if you don't mind, he's going over the highlights. When we get to the CIP budget, we'll then let her go into more detail at that time. But I want us to actually start the budget process because right now we're we're
Yeah. Yeah. Okay. The only thing that I want to know if because that project go for long and I I don't know that we have to go after next year to finish and on get more money for that. It's okay. So I ask you going. Yeah. Mr. Bob, go ahead, please.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And it says it's going to be completed by the end of fiscal uh 26. It will not be completed by the end of fiscal 25. If there are any no other questions on this page, I'll move on. the city overview. This is a very
important chart and uh it will be a theme that I think you'll see repeated throughout this presentation. I'd like to bring your attention to a couple numbers on that slide. First off, the uh going to start at the top right with a headcount. Overall, you're talking about
six and that's basically in the police department. Couple of the other divisions had plus one plus uh plus one minus one but essentially it's six is all embodied in the police department. If I can take you down to the uh various
numbers. Uh what I'd ask you to look at first is the uh in the FY25 forecast. You can see a funding number of 62 million and an expenditure number beneath it of 75 million use of fund
balance of 13 $13 million going into FY25. We believe based on the latest audit that the city had an overall fund balance of $35 million. In 25 we're going to you we believe we're going to use about uh 13 million
of that. Uh that'll give us a closing balance of 22 million. Then look at the same numbers fuel for 26. And by the way, if I can just uh digress for a second, as you all know, uh at the turn of of the decade, the city had a large
fund balance basically from monies that were accumulated and not spent. Uh it's not intended that the city sit on that money and rightly so. Since then, the city has m been using that fund balance for various capital projects. Point I'm trying to make here is by the time we
get to FY2026, you can see that we have a funding of 68 million and an expenditure of 80 million which says we're going to use another 11 million of fund balance. That is all for capital projects. The city has had up to
now the city has had the luxury of being able to fund their operations through the new revenue of the year and fund their capital uh capital projects through their fund balance. We're now getting to the point where we've got the fund balance back to the levels it's supposed to be and that's going to make that's going to allow for more strict
budgets going forward as you'll see today. Is there any questions on that concept? I'll point out the 10 million at the uh closing balance for FY26 basically is the minimum require we're meant to retain.
This is a standard chart I use each year just to familiarize everybody with how we organize our funds. The upper leftand column corner is the operating funds. The operating funds are where generate the primary source essentially all of our revenue. The operating funds are
used to fund the operations within those funds. also to fund the internal service funds in the top right and also to fund the CIP down below. Uh the in the lower right hand corner you have very small uh funds which I'll take you through very
quickly. Debt service will cease to exist at the end of FY26. It's it was there to fund the FY 2011 2015 bonds. Those will both be paid off by the end of next year. People transportation plan is a fund that is funded by both the
county cit and also the Florida Department of Transportation. Town center is a small fund which it makes some money from rent and the rest is funded by the general fund. The police special funds uh we'll take a look at those and ARPA essentially be gone at
the end of this year. I'm sorry, end of this FY26. No questions on that page. I'll move on. Mr. Mayor, Vice May, from the original document you gave us, but this one, I see some some um
couple of changing the safe neighborhood CIP and the water and sewer CIP. Um, one went down and one went up. What was the the change in that?
Mr. Vice Mayor, I had several last minute changes. I don't I do not have them at fingertips. I'll have to get that get back to you on that. Okay. And I see the same thing in the general fund and the um water sewer operating fund. Yes, sir. There was some late breaking
news on some software and so forth. There was some late breaking news on software and things like that that I had to get in to give it more complete picture. Breaking news. Yes, sir. Last minute. I got it over the Fourth of July weekend. Very late breaking. Okay. Okay. So, you're going to get that
to us. Yes, sir. I will I will work backwards and Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Yeah. So, the intention apparently that was my error. The intention of the numbers presented last week were tended to be presented as a work in progress rather than end result. Okay. Thank you.
Yes, sir. General fund. Sorry, I forgot to move you on. Next page, general fund overview. I'm sorry, I'm taking a minute here because the microphone keeps hitting me in the eye. the items that I'd like to
bring to your attention here. Again, uh I'm sorry I went one page turned too fast. I apologize on that. Uh things I'd like to bring to your attention here are the really the same story that we saw in the city overview. You can see in FY25
that we do use $2.5 million. This is the in the number in the lower right where it says use of fund balance. We do use two and a half million. We we believe we're going to use $2.5 million of fund balance. That will start to pull down our available fund balance for FY26.
The fund balance that was used again was primarily for capital. And you see in FY26 we use a little bit more because now all of a sudden we have less fund balance available and you see that in terms of less uh transfer out to capital. So we in this one we are
approaching the point where we really should not be going below the five to5 half million dollar. So what that says for next year uh we're really going to have to look and see what trade-offs you want to make between operating expenditures and capital.
Do are there any questions on that page? On we go. Okay. Very quickly, general fund is where the funding Oops, I forgot to move it. There we go. Uh the revenue, primary source of revenue as you will can believe is the property tax. And about
to share with you some very good news on that. Uh I will bring to your attention one of the large numbers for FY26 is the number down here where it says transfer inbalance from debt service. That is larger than usual. Next year the
revenues that were coming into that debt service fund will probably go directly into the general fund and will be in the range of 5 million rather than 6.7 million. So uh that will not that's going to be a minor setback as we move into FY27 in terms of revenue becomes
available to us. It did not come out very well. I don't know what happened to the coloring on that. It certainly hopefully is not anything that you see that way. Those are meant to be solid blue columns. It certainly is in my handout and I'm assume it is in yours.
Um yes, before you go to that page. Yes, sir. Property tax um 147 proposed in um next year 16. Yes, sir. With expect to see a 1.2 increase in property tax revenue because of
which we're just about to look at. It's at the recommended millage rate of 8.9797 which is a two 2% reduction over the current year. Okay. So, all right. And the next page is the reason for that increase.
Uh this is based on what the county has provided for us for uh tax purposes as of July 1st. I I'll explain this very quickly. Again, I apologize how it got discolored here. Uh what it shows is the property tax base each year going back
to 2020 up to current year. Again these are numbers from the property appraiser. These are tax base C after CRA adjustment. We lose about $250 million of tax base from CRA. The number I've
shown you after adjustment is 1.88 billion. Uh with the CRA 250 million. Yes sir. in in the tax base. Tax base 50 million. Yes, sir. In the tax base. If I had shown you the before the CRA
adjustment, uh the number you'd see there instead of 1.88 would be 2.12. Uh that Yeah, I'm sorry. Oh, no. They told me that by the end I had to ask question, not now. Yes, sir.
Yeah. the uh that's what you say. That is not what that is absolutely not. Oh, can I ask you a question now? Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I always have to be sure that I do the right thing. Um something that I see here is maybe
it's me that I really not see anything, you know, changes in the next year budget. Uh this year we right now the 25 we receive from the taxpayer 40
million77 787,968. That's the correct number after we have contributed a tiff payment to the CRA. No, but but this is the money that we have for the 25. Yes, sir. Okay. And now by the next year the 26
we're going to have some increase uh for over a million a million dollars $2.99. Yes sir. Correct. Okay. And this is out of the uh the cut that we're going to do for the 2% in the uh miller reg that with the recommended millage rate
of two of a 2% reduction that would be the resultant number. Yes sir. Okay. And this is my question. It's not me that I want to make my uh residents, you know, to keep him pay pay because no matter what they pay. I see I made some comparation here between the miller rage
that we going to reduce, but really uh we do fines and tickets, you know, to properties and everything here in um in the city. And I think and I believe um for the next year we're
going to collecting in that $2 million $126,000 and fines. Yes, sir. I read in wrong. No, so you read it correct and I will tell you fine. Yeah. The finest is me that's giving to the properties and all that.
No, it's first and foremost red light cameras. Red red light cameras. Yes, sir. And I will tell you, I've got a very conservative number in there because we've had a problem with that. It has not been resolved. I've used a number of 1.2 million out of the 2.1 you're
looking at there. That is much lower. If all the cameras operate, it would be a much healthier number. The problem has I is going to take a while to resolve. And even once it gets resolved, there's a lead time. When you cameras start to work again, then they don't get to court
for another 90 days when we see the revenue. Okay. Yeah. All right. Well, by the end of your presentation, I think that we can um you know, talking about the miller rate reduction. After that, we're not going to make no more comment for now.
But I love I love to touch something in this. Yes, sir. Thank you. I I'm ready to answer any questions whenever that it comes up. uh we were looking at this page and again what this says is after the CRA
adjustment uh there is a 12.3% increase over uh last year uh that has very positive benefits for uh for the city in comparison to our well let me reset to the before CRA adjustment that would
have been a 13.2% 2% increase. That is compared to the county overall of 8.7. So the city continues to be a spot where there's a lot of new activity. Uh 1% of the growth came from uh new additions, approximately $14 million. The rest of
it came from additions from uh just people selling their properties or just market growth in general. Uh just uh I'm going to digress very quickly on the CRA. By losing the growth on the CRA, the city ends up making a
$2.1 million contribution to the CRA to do what they think is appropriate. You give up control on that. But in addition to the 2.1 million contribution that the city makes, county also makes a $1 million. So that's the ver one of the virtues of having the CRA. you get an e
extra piece of revenue from the county. So, long story short, we had very high growth and uh at the 2.92 I'm sorry, at the 8 9797 rate, it would get to the revenue that you saw on the previous
page. Any questions on this page? This is the Rick. I don't know why the graphics are just disintegrating on this thing. Uh okay. Anyhow, this is the recommendation to uh go to 8.9797.
Uh for the first time in many years, it takes city below the 9.0 uh threshold. Any questions on this page? Okay. So, Mr. Anathan, I do want to say I do appreciate the drop in the millillage um because we've been
fighting for that forever in a day. So to for us to be under nine point whatever in many years you've had the highest mill rate forever. Um so but 1% milit rate reduction equals $160,000
on the top line. Yes sir. On the top line. Yes sir. And your proposal is to decrease it by 2%. Yes sir. For this one year. And then going forward we will explore increasing it. Again, it's a recommendation for this
year and it's up to the DAS to do as they think appropriate. Point I was trying to make is on some of the prior pages, we're getting to the point where to do CIP, we're not going to have the fund balance available to us that we had historically. So when decisions are made
here, it impacts the tradeoff of what's going to be left. I got that. Yes, sir. I got that. Okay. All right. And I apologize for the graphics. I have no idea why it's doing that. All right. Okay. No questions of that. We'll move
on. General fund expenditures very quickly. You can see the compensation is up. Compensation is up. Uh you have a minor increase in headcount, but basically you had a vacancy rate of 23% for this year. The budget assumes no
vacancies for next year. So that's one of the drivers of your growth. The operating expense is a mixture of things. uh it has in it uh well it's let me if I can share with you some of the key things in there although we'll cover with various divisions as
well within operating expense we have uh special events for Arabian nights uh city city city birthday $280,000 uh we have we uh repeat the number Dr. actually repeat
uh $280,000 in is in the budget what $280,000 $80,000 from next year. Yes, sir. You'll see. Does that number combine the birthday and I think I did say that it was combination birthday and uh Arabian
night. That's what you said you wanted us to go into later on in the Yes, sir. That's going to be part of special events at the end of the day. Got it. Okay. Other things we have in there uh are going to be police vehicles. It's going to be necessary to lease an
additional 11 patrol vehicles. Uh we have we have uh 22 coming off lease. Nine of I'm sorry, four of them are going to be used to convert into PSA vehicles. Six of them are going to be put in place as a reserve fleet when we
have a breakdown the primary vehicles and to staff the 51 sworn it's going to take 11 additional. So that's one of the reasons you have the increase in operating expense. Okay. Um Mr. Anathan to the manager and I asked this when we had our 101 ones
about the police vehicles. Um 22 off lease. Are we going to own these afterwards? Yes, we will own them. We will own them. But then we're going to need additional. Yes, sir. At the moment we have 43
patrol vehicles. You you've got to include the PSA vehicles. What? They're they didn't start out as PS vehicles. Four of them will be converted to PSA vehicles. You want to open that up because it's going to be a long discussion. I was
trying to wait till you get to that point cuz he's going to be at the Olympics. I'm trying to let you get through this little part here before I get into the specifics. They're going to be replacing soon. Can we um skip the overview and go
straight into the budget? Mr. Anath, I think everybody has questions on the budget. You're giving us overview. We're here to Okay, let's dive in. The um Mr. Mayor, before he goes over you, since he's on this page, the compensation has going up. Um and I know
this is a 2 million uh increase, I'm assuming. Let me assume the um thinking is you're building in something for uh contracts, union contracts negotiations. Yes, sir. The the increases are based on
union contracts either in place or to be in place. Uh okay. Because you're in negotiation with whatever. So, okay. Yes, sir. Does does any of this compensation uh increase um projected include
non-union folks? Yes, sir. Uh, non-union folks will get increases based on their evaluations each year. Okay. Thank you. Now, let's open up and dive in and let's let's dive in. Let's
I think I heard a desire to go to the individual divisions. I would ask you to turn to page 25. Can we go to page 25, please? Thank you.
It's now on the screen. We'll move on. These are the various divisions within the general fund. There's no point to be made here. Just it's kind of a stage setting. Uh it gives you an idea of the impact of each of the divisions in the general fund. So unless somebody has a
particular question on this, I'm going to move on. Um Mr. Mayor, Vice Mayor, thank you. In the um division that you have laid out here, I mentioned a little bit last um night, but since I see it
here under the housing social services, we haven't really spent a whole lot. Um and you're proposing 278 um and 26. Now, that's not proposed carryover.
That's that's new. Yes, they're all new. and and based on projections of what are we going to do? It's just a it's an effort to put something in place given that we don't directly know what skills are going to be involved and what programs the manager would bring with him or with
her. Okay. All right. Thank you. Thanks. So what we have with the commission there's I'll take you through the hype the points fact there's a $30 differential will go away that's something the fourth decimal place
travel we have in there $40,000 we'd like to defer that till the end of the meeting or not to the end but uh after the formal presentation to each of the divisions have a discussion of that I have a separate handout on And unless you have any other questions
about any of other num numbers on this page, I will move on. This is an example, by the way. As you can see, there is an other line there at the bottom just before total operating expense. If you were to want to see it, we would move to page 78. I'm going to assume not unless I hear
otherwise. Again, the effort was to streamline this to focus on the major uh financial impacts in each each division and that's why we lumped together the other. If there's an interest, we can go to page 78 in a heartbeat.
I'm sorry. Was that yes or no? I am page what 78. I'll put 78. We put 78 on the screen right now. Page 78, please. There it is. Oh, I see. Um, the office supplies and uniforms commission. It's all the small things. Employee training. Okay.
All right. But don't have a major impact on the financial uh Thank you, M. Come back to page 27, please. Thank you. Any other questions on the commission budget again with travel to be discussed
further? What was the issue with the travel? Uh, it has to be resolved. Uh, for example, uh, having worked through all of the purchase orders for this year's, it looks like there's 15 separate uh, trips that have been or will be completed. There are requests for 32
trips for next year. And I just need to bring that to your attention so we can reconcile that. So, what what decision direction are you asking from the commission? M uh, a discussion and hopefully some guidance and consensus as to where you want to go on it, Mr. Mayor.
Commissioner. Yeah, like I I love the the uh the question that you do. What do you want to the commissioner to do with that to not traveling? Uh I would to cut it out, you know, to I I would ask the commission to look at
the number within the context the entire budget and decide how much they want to spend on it. Okay. How much have we spent this year? Uh the numbers I can find and again I don't have all the numbers because some of it is not in the accounts yet but it looks like 22,000 either expended or
encumbered for everyone. Yes sir. Throughout the whole Yes sir. And that's for 15 trips as opposed to 31 trips have been signed up for or requested for next year. Oh good. Good. Very good. Which is an increase of $10,000.
Uh it's the number I worked up today is based on the again some of the things that people wanted to go to were hard to find. So I had to model on what I could find from this year's experience. When I did that I ended up with a number which is close to $47,000 even though I have
40 here at the moment. Again that's a number to be resolved hopefully at the end of this meeting by the end of this meeting. Um Mr. Mayor, I'm a little nervous with this. Um, keep in question. It's question. Don't
don't think it's something else. But let me say this. Okay, we're talking about the commission on right now in that point. Yes, sir. Well, let me let me make some uh some comment because I see something here that is really um have my concern about expense. So
we're talking you know what we try to do is re you know reduce some expens like that we can balance the budget. No. No sir. Yeah. Yes. Right. No. Okay. One other thing that I want to see I see
here though our our city city manager Fiana make a mistake. Our city manager uh that she work here I believe 24 hours always. Is not that's not a concern. No we not on her yet. We're not yet well not but I want to make a sound
comparation here about uh you know the money that we spending in other in other departments that I believe um everybody deser you know deserve to to understand that if we cut out for
this and for that side we have to go to the really center things that we have here in the city that we spending a lot of money a lot of money and one of these let me tell uh they don't want me to asking you know to ask a question now but it's going to be no matter what
because I want to know okay how can we reduce some amount of money that we be paying in the city okay for some of the departments okay and I talking about uh let me start it with something here uh
city attorney we pay by next year we're going to paying $500,000 yes sir yeah That's that's the will of the commission that the budget be reduced. All we can do is come back with a set of options and say where would you like to auction that's we had to come with
auction okay to see we can make you know this administration better and in the budget okay to balance the budget. Yes sir. Okay. And we're going to starting with the commissioners. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. No more. That's it. Commissioner,
I was just going to say if we can just stay on, he's going department by department. So, right now, wherever you want to, okay, make your your suggestions to decrease, this is the time to do it. So, right now, we're on the commission. And then after that, we're going to the city manager, then non-EP department clerk,
so on and so forth, but we're we're still on the commission. And what he was asking was as it relates to travel, you projected $47,000 for travel, but you that's with us taking 32 trips. Yes, sir. All together and you will see those details and where
I may have overestimated a number. I certainly welcome the feedback. Okay. We'll we'll look at that at the end of the day. That's what you want us to do. Wait until Perfect. So the next department will be the city manager department, right? Correct. Yes, sir. So the city manager department is a very
straightforward set of numbers. Uh the only thing I'll bring to your attention, well maybe two things. That was just one thing actually. You see a reduction of four that actually reflects a four of us being transferred from the city manager's department to the finance department. So it's not a major
reorganization. There is a minor reorganization there. Uh I'll leave it at that. Any questions on the city manager's cost budget? Mr. Mayor,
I know the um Thank you. I know the um propose going down, but this is this inclusive of um the planning person or whatever. I don't know what those titles are. Is that what that's inclusive of?
The event planner is included. In fact, two event planners are included and an executive secretary has been taken out. Okay. So, executive secretary is taken out. You got two uh event planners. Yes, sir. So, the net reduction is four, which reflects myself, the grants
administrator, the purchasing officer, and a a senior budget analyst moving from that uh city manager's office to the finance department. Um as a part of that count um there's what one um city manager or
proposed. So this number include is for two city managers. Yes. On the same level. Yes. Okay. That's the in department. I won't
I I won't bother that one. Okay. But it Okay. All right. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. No problem. Non-EP department. Uh, a couple things happen here. Uh, I'll bring your attention to other professional services
includes a lobbyist for $120,000, a citywide fee study for $100,000. That's all fees other than utility rate fees. and then grant support of $45,000. Within contract services, we've got the community newspaper for $40,000 and
miscellaneous for another 25 to be determined as the year progresses. Here you can see the down at the bottom you can see the reduction in the transfer out to the safe neighborhood CIP. That's the issue we've been talking about all along that the general fund is
now constrained in what it can support in the way of CIP. Mr. Mayor, Vice Mayor, you mentioned Thank you. You mentioned the other contracted services and professional services. Yes, sir. I know this one is um 31,000 less than
you mentioned about the well, I guess um newspaper and what else? Newspaper. We at the moment we have $25,000 because things always pop up. They end up in the non-EP department fund. So at the moment it's not defined.
It's there as a miscellaneous item. Okay. And what did you base that um on? How much you base for the for a newspaper? Uh, I believe it was uh I forget by resolution it was not to exceed $40,000.
No, that didn't that didn't Was that not a That didn't um was that not resolution because it was going to come up in the budget process. I'm asking what what was the 40,000 based on just what came out of that? I thought there was an agenda item that said not to not to
There was an agenda item. It was not um the commission deferred it. Um but there was a dollar amount and it was $40,000. That's what you got. That's what that amount from. Yes, sir. I've lost track as whether it actually went forward or not.
I can't hear you. Sorry. I said I lost track as to whether it actually went forward. You had 25,000 in there as as miscellaneous. Yes. Just because it something pops up every way too often.
It's undefined. It's if you don't want it, it can be taken out. Okay. I'll stick a pin right there for the moment. Okay. And um the the transfer out on the safe neighborhood CIP. Yes, sir. I see that difference there. Um
is there a reason why for that um different amount? That's a you're talking about the reduction, sir. Right. Yeah. The reduction goes back to what we were talking about beginning of the meeting. We've got the fund balance of general fund down to the level we hit
all the numbers in this budget. The general fund fund balance will be down to a level below which we should not go just for best practices. We should try and keep 60 days of cash or at least fund balance available just in case. That's best practices. So uh
so basically fiscal constraint. Fiscal constraint. Exactly. Yes sir. Okay. All right. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Okay. And Mr. Piggy back on Vice Mayor, you talked about grant services. How much is that? I put $45,000 and we not did not use
them extensively this year. Uh I certainly plan to. As you can see, it's we have a desperate need for grant money and uh so I've increased that to 45,000. Thank you, sir. Any other questions on non-EP
department? Hearing none. I'll move on. So, what we've done for a lot of the departments is to what before we get into the financials, we put down the uh what they wanted to accomplish for next year. And this is the first time you'll see it for
department. You see the city clerk right here. Uh the important ones uh certainly is the increase of a commission aid and one more is in the proposed in the plan. uh other one is the uh work that's being
done, the study that's been done and will be actually effectuated at this point in terms of record management and not destruction of obsolete records. Okay, good on objectives. Okay,
so having said that, you can see you can't see it because I haven't moved on. My bad. Uh now you can see it hopefully you can see the increase of one for the department that's the commission aid we just talked about and you can see other
contracted services up that is the process of actually uh either storing remotely or destroying a warehouse full of obsolete records. There any other questions on this particular division? Otherwise I'll move
on. Um, the only question that I have or concern, I see that we're bringing in another aid if the commission so chooses to approve it, but then the furniture, you all decreased it and I know you have to convert your office. Madam Madam um
clerk, um I I had that conversation with Mr. Anathan. I'm not sure if he was able um in time to make those changes. Um cuz originally I had proposed um a commission aid um three actually
additional aids and only one is being proposed um I spoke with the with with Mr. Anna then after that with regards to the furniture and also computer equipment that comes along with that position. So,
um I'm not sure if he had the opportunity to include additional funds, but we did have that conversation. All right. Because it was decreased by $5,000. That's why that's why No, she did bring it to my attention. I did not bring it in at this point. So, the $1,500 is not for that alone. I'm
sorry, is will not be sufficient for outfitting new office. So, there will be that dollar amount go up slightly. Yes, sir. All right. M question. Um I see that um it's proposed for six and that's just one more and
it's 141,819. Yes ma'am. Well, you had some vacancies this year. So what you're looking at is a forecast of this year which one or more positions were open uh some portion of the year. Again it goes back to when we looked at the general fund. I said hey you've got
a lot of increase there. The budget for the general fund assumes 100% uh assumes no vacancies for FY26. For FY25, it's about a 32% vacancy rate for all the general fund of which part of it was
from the clerk's office. That answer your question? Not reading. I'm just making sure that this um I'm just a big jump. So you're saying it's because it's partly a vacancy and if you'll also
remember right that the city clerk was granted an increase. Yes, ma'am. And you also have to take in account that I believe this also includes benefits that's associated with that. Okay. Thank you. Yeah, that's a full compensation number,
wages and benefits. Vice Mayor, I'm not sure if it falls in this category, but I'm going ask this question because I get um a challenges. Is there anything within your budget or need to be in your budget that will um
Oh, this is just not um deal with or help with the public records requests. I get so many complaints about public records requests not being addressed timely. From your perspective and your budget, is there anything you need to
have additional in your budget to make that uh more efficient? to answer the question. I think that we have the software, you know, like many other municipalities, you know, use as it relates to the
public records request. On my end, I'm not sure that there's anything that I can do to include in the budget, but um you know, most times is the the amount of time is taking to complete these requests. And a lot of the these
requests go to various departments. It's not just the city clerk's office. So, they are reassigned to the appropriate department and it depends on the on the time that it takes them to complete those requests. So, we do have some issues at times with the length of time
that it's taking to complete those requests. But, in my opinion, it has nothing to do with, you know, including additional funds in the budget for that. is just um being able to produce those records timely.
Okay. Just want to record. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. All right. No problem. City, excuse me, city attorney. Uh basically, it's a business as usual and uh we have not there are no unknown
major risks out there that brought to my attention. So, it's a just it's more or less a repeat of this year's budget. If no questions, I'll move on. Finance department again a series of objectives. Uh leading the pack is the
installation of the new finance system. uh getting all getting the audit in for next year, certainly by June 30th, and uh setting plans for resuming from the county the utility billing collection that the county is currently doing for
us. Any questions that page? What kind of question we can ask? Commission. No, no, let's I want to learn. I don't I don't want to be combative and go back and forth with you. Nobody is trying to stop you from talking or stop
you from asking a question. But we were saying that he was going through the overview and he was going to address those when he got to the department that was asking you to hold off for that particular department until we actually got there. Nobody's trying to stop you from talking. So, please stop saying
that because you say that quite often. Nobody's trying to mute you. So, if you have a question, this is the time to ask it. Thank you. You have the floor. Yeah. Um, can we go back to the page before? City attorney. Yeah. City attorney.
Yep. Yes, sir. Okay. Explain it to me a little bit about the expensor that we have here. You've got three lines there. The top line is for outside legal support and it also includes things like taking uh
deposition so forth. The city attorney also gets involved in litigation on behalf of the city that's built separately and then the city attorney has what I call a retainer of $22,000 per month. Those are the three lines in that budget
and that return is for go outside and and fighting in favor of the city to see if we don't lose any cases out there. That is what the second line is. City attorney litigation and in doing that she may engage an outside law firm to also do that.
Yeah. And in the question that I asking you um okay that's including u no matter what we lose it or not. I mean we have we have any case that we win. Uh no you don't have the answer. Okay.
Okay. All right. to basically let's continue with Yes sir. Thank you. Let's let's continue. So these were the fi finance department's uh biggest objectives. If there's no question that we'll move on to the numbers.
You can see an increase of three. Uh again, that is the four people moving out of the city manager's office into the finance department plus the savings of one additional cashier position who is not utilized.
Uh with you've got some large numbers in there. You've got professional services. Uh you've got internal audit support of $300,000 in contract services. You've got 39,000 for payroll service. Sorry, payroll
services from ADP and then the additional money is for a temporary employee to assist with the ARP conversion. Any other questions on this uh department that I could answer? Mr. Bar. Yes, sir. Okay.
It's I me you commission. Thank you to our city manager where the financial um the budget objectives developing plans to resume our utility billing and collection responsibilities. I am
that is something that I think that we should be looking into, but I'm concerned at the same time because knowing that according to the Miami Day County people downstairs, um, a large amount of our meters are not working correctly.
So, with us resuming what we did previously, are we prepared financially to replace water meters and all that other stuff? Um, the intent is not for us to resume our own water billing service within
this budget. Okay. In the future, yes, we would like to do that, but not it's not captured in this budget because like you said, we are not prepared for that at this time. Okay. I was just looking where it says to um develop plans to resume. Miss K,
can you elaborate on that? That's Good afternoon, Naim again, director of finance. So, we don't have the technology, the personnel, the equipment, um the database, um uh trust in the numbers to come over from the county to consume um and resume that
service um in house, not in fiscal year 26. Um, as uh, city manager referenced. Yes. Future. Absolutely. We need to bring that back in, but not in fiscal year 26. I thought so, but I just asked that question based on what I read. Sure. Yes. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Yes.
And Miss G, before you leave the podium, so and I brought this up in our oneonone. So, I know we're we talked about the we're doing the efficiency audit now, which would pass a couple weeks ago, but something always comes up as it relates to our audits. So, do we have a a cushion there just in case? So, we got
to get another auditor or we got to hurry them up or we are in the financial oversight and it seems like every year something comes up in the finance department. The only thing that we do have would be use of some temporary staffing to perform some immediate functions um as a
result of the efficiency audit. Um but no sir, beyond that, we don't have anything else cushioned per se. Okay. So is there a possible way that I ask you about this that put something in place? I'll work with Miss Ant and Mr. Anathan to because we don't know what what what the
findings are going to be. So maybe we have to hire a consultant or maybe we have to do some emergency. I just want to make sure the city is prepared. We're we're proactively thinking. Yes. Okay. Mr. Mayor, I just ask one question as well. Oh, you could Oh, wait.
Okay. Um, in our 101 ones, we talked about the credit card fee. I would like to see that being passed on to the people that are because it's a convenience fee. Yes. You get a concert ticket, it starts out
at 100. By the time you finishes at 150 with all the fees and right now, we're paying the fees, not the the the consumer consumer. So, I would like for this to be passed on to them and not Okay.
us uh suck up that um expense. Okay. If we can if we can. Okay. I think you just found your cushion. There it is. Yes. Go ahead.
Um my question is I just want to make sure that we are fully equipped in your department. Um are we? Yes, we are. Okay. Um we actually started the transition to well not transition but conversion to our new financial software um with all hands on deck this week.
And you would be able to maintain the bodies as well? Yes. Okay. Perfect. Yes. Okay. Good. Is that with a a consultant or a straight view? Um what's the question? The ERP system. You said the conversion. Who's the consultant is doing that is or the the consultants have nothing to do
with the conversion? It's all staff. All staff. So, we're in the preliminary. We just started. They just started on Monday. And what they're doing now is meeting with staff. So, it's all staff. But when it's time to actually have hands on deck, the intent will be to have a temporary employee to assist. So, all of
our staff will not be pulled away. Yes. Okay. I have one more question. I'm sure I know the answer. I just don't remember. How many bodies are in your department? 13. 13. 13. Okay. Yes. Good.
Hey, any other questions for the finance director? Vice May. Uh, mine is not really more Well, I just want to confirm again because I mentioned to the manager and to the finance director, I want us to be able to get to a point where we can um apply
for the uh certification. Um, I call the credentials. It's very good. uh that shows your finance department is where it needs to be and I know there are layers of it and I think um where we are now I asked the manager to go ahead and to uh put in for that because it go a
long way in showing not only the public but those who may be interested in investing in the city that financially we're heading in the right direction in terms of finance. So I'm glad to hear um that we're going to be working towards that. Correct. Yes, sir. That's correct. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Absolutely. Miss just to um echo on what vice mayor was saying, can you give a little bit information because you did do some research on that? Yes. So we we um had resurfaced the pro the protocol and we have between October 1 and December one essentially to submit
that application so that they can review our budget document. It's called the GFOA distinguished budget presentation award. Um and the city had received it for several years um in the past. So, we will uh re revive that process and I think we'll be in a a good position to
be recognized. All right. One of the things a mayor, you get to pop up. No, I did it for you. I know. No, you Mr. Mayor. Is that a Is that a state recognition or is she ask is a state?
That's national. That's Yes, ma'am. National. Oh, wow. Recognition. Okay. Miss UR finance lady. I'll be looking at a hug. Any other questions for the finance department before we move on to HR?
Thank you. Thank you. Um, Miss G, I'm sorry. Okay, moving on. Again, a equivalent set of objectives for the HR department. I'll let you look at it very quickly.
And if there are no questions on that, I will move on to the next page. The the $165,000 is the that has the HR pos director position as you know is outsourced and that is what
that number represents. Other contract services include uh ADP HR services, $17,000, the youth summer program of $50,000, and then a collection of a couple smaller
ones for $12,700. There are any other questions on this page? Otherwise, I will move on. I do have one question. I see that you did the in I don't have an issue with I just want to say the intent the employee recognition from 10 to 18. Yes sir.
What was the it's just it was underutilized this year. There are whole series of there's a PW week. There is a police week. Okay. Police night. All right. Those were not necessarily executed this year. The intention is our department to do next
year. Yes sir. Perfect. And this is has nothing to do with the budget, but I just want to say um the the event that you all had with through the HR department with the the oh god the massages, the the health thing, the wellness thing, that was a really good
initiative. So kudos to our HR director and the city manager for doing that and we we never brought it said it. So I just want to say it now and I'm I'm assuming that's included in the employee recognition. Well, no, that was no cost to the city. No cost to the city. That was no cost to the wow. Okay. It
was a great initiative. Oh, right. And then the other question that I have for HR, um I know we have we do the employee summer program, but then I heard that there was a another program within the city.
Yes, we did it uh we did it last year as well. It's with with Miami Day County Public Schools and that's no cost to cost. No, Mr. Mayor. Vice Mayor, thank you. Um, when I had my meeting,
the math was off in the human resources um, proposed line. Um, was that corrected, Vice Mayor? Which line are we talking about? Um, when I had my individual, I indicated that the math was off in terms
of some of the numbers. Uh, was that was those adjustments made? Uh, I believe the numbers as you see them here are as we intend them to be. I can go back and look. I wasn't aware that we had a discrepancy. Yeah, it was it was often well again in
the first booklet thing you gave me. So maybe you've adjusted since then. Um we'll verify this page just to make sure there's no sometimes a line gets hidden and so forth. It makes the ma the math look a little funky. I don't think it's here, but we'll look for it.
Okay. Okay. And under the equipment, well, rentals lease, I think you said it was equipment, but you weren't really sure what that was. What what what are we talking about with um rentals? The rentals is a cop is copier and also the time clocks. Copier and say it again.
Time clocks. Employee time clocks. Check it in. Checking out EDP. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Yes, sir. All right. Any other questions for our HR director or Mr. Anathan or our manager?
This Yes, I did have one. This budget still encompasses um the contracted services. Yes, that's under other professional services. Okay. All right. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. All right. Move. This was the housing and social services
which was addressed a few minutes ago. Again, it is a it's a first pass of what the budget might look like once that position is filled. Would there be any questions on this particular page? Um, the only question that I have, Madam
Manager. Um, I'm going back to this is going to be a new department, new offices. So, the furniture, I just don't want it to come up. And then other professional services. What do you mean by that? and other contracted services.
I don't remember that coming up. Excuse me one second. Is that page 78? No sir. This would be buried in the detail that I have. What question is what are there?
Um, Mr. Mayor, so the question is other professional and other contracted. I I'm I'm thinking that you just put a number in there because you don't know what's going to be needed yet. Non-specific. I think we may have had one category in mind, but I don't have the documentation with me, which is what I did. All right.
But I remember because that wasn't there before, but All right. Okay. All right. I'm good. I'm sir. I think this is a repeat of what was in the FY25 budget. No, I was talking about our 101. Oh, I'm sorry. Referring to I'm sorry. Apologies. Vice Mayor, you took out um Thank you. You took out
the 50,000 under the residential maintenance assistance. Um you took that out. Yes, sir. It's in community development at this time. It's a community development. Yes, sir. For the moment. Is there any reason why it was moved to community development?
They both had offered it and to get rid of the duplicate, we just put the whole amount into community development. Why would you put something for residential assistance in community development when you've got a your housing and social services really designed to deal with your the public?
Yes, sir. It would it could and would be moved at such time that position was filled. Say it again. It could and would be moved into this department at such time that that but the position is filled. We can move it there now if that's the
will of the commission. Get moving there now. Okay. Um I know we have not moved as fast. We had like to actually get it going, but it needs to be inside of there. Uh we can decide later specifically what that is going to entail in terms of
assistance. I know sometime that was probably rent or something, but the commission can decide later on. But that line item needs to be inside of the housing and social service um division, not in Yes, sir. Understood. Understood.
And vice. Yeah. Go ahead. Yes. Um madam man, I think I asked you this before about the hiring. Yes. So, we are in the recruitment process um reviewing applicants. They have not started the interviews yet. um
that that should be starting soon, but I think they were trying to wait till they get a a Okay. So, can we can we ramp that up? So, right now we're doing a soft launch and by the new year we have a fully ready. We can, but we do want to although we have applicants, we want to make sure that there are applicants that can come
in here and get that program started and up and running that has that expertise. So, like I say, there are applicants, but a lot of them that applied does not have that previous experience. Okay. So, is it something that we can advertise? No, it is. It is. We have been advertising this,
but I'll I'll work with Miss Adams um tomorrow and see if we can put it out another way. And then the headcount is still the same. I think you told me it was the department director and an assistant. Okay. All right. Any other questions about the housing and human services?
And I totally agree with vice mayor. We talked about that too. It needs to go back. All right. We're on community development, sir. Speaking of community development, there we are. Again, this is a series of
objections they have. Lead leading the packed is annexation application. Uh you'll see in professional fees a charge for that. Uh staying on top of this abandoned foreclosed programs to improve the appearance of the neighborhoods. And
again, we have the residential ma maintenance assistance program here today, gone tomorrow. But this one, the residential maintenance, this is an additional 50,000. So you're doing it in both departments. It was in
this department had 100,000 in it. The housing and social services had 50,000. We consolidated at 100,000 and left it in community development. Okay. So take whatever you're going to take and put it.
Yes, sir. Understood, Mr. Mayor. This line objectives just disappeared. Got it. I Mr. Mayor. And I'm not suggesting the whole 100,000, but whatever the line item is going to be, it should be in the housing. Yes, sir. Um I I would even mention to
say um you could drop it to 75,000 but it go into housing. You still have 25,000 I want to say um that you could utilize somewhere that we might want to determine but it should be at least um all of it whatever should be in housing.
So, if you got 100,000 unit consolidated for the um assistance um at least 75,000 should be in that housing line item. Yes, sir. Whatever the consensus is of the commission, that's the number will be there. Well, I'm saying at least at least 75. That's
understood. Um because we know we're talking about a portion that's not um in the CRA if if we go that route with that assistant challenge, whatever. I don't know how we're going to, you know, if we're going to do it, but it just needs to be in the
housing arena. And you know what? I think maybe what should occur, put the whole 100,000. Yes, sir. Now, we're talking about housing and assistance for our residents. Some of us may come up with some other ideas and how we can help. So, just put the whole 100,000.
That's my suggestion, Mr. Mayor, and to my colleagues. Oh, no. We got to find out. I just want And we talked about this on the one, too. change the name. Not residential maintenance assistance grant, just assistance. Yes, sir. That way it's open-ended and then $100,000 we can utilize for
we need money in that that that department for programming. Yes, sir. But might just not be facade. It might just be rental assistance. It might just be helping to pay the water bill, light bill, but we need Okay. So therefore, the word maintenance goes away. And grant Well,
well, it is a grant. Yeah. So, maintenance goes away. It's a residential assistance grant. That word. Yes, sir. Thank you. And wait, I'm sorry. Last thing. The community historic grant. Um, did we
expend all that money for this year? I know we we were supposed to pick like four houses or that's done. All right. So, can we get some pictures to the commission or the presentation or something? No. I mean, not you don't have to do it now, but I'm saying that we know how what we what we paid for.
No, Mr. Not now. I just want to speak on it real quick. That's actually a work in progress. Okay. We're going through the um contracting of it right now. So, there's not actual pictures in place, but there is work being done. So, we'll be making a full presentation as it as it
proceeds. Okay. So, that was an FY25. So, it's not carrying over to 26, right? Okay. Perfect. Mr. Mayor, Vice Mayor, also um with regard to the other professional services, you're proposing 318,000
and I know in my uh initial meeting it was um possible projects that um had environmental assessments um but it wasn't clear on what those might be. Have we kind of figured out what they may be or that's just um a general number that you've come up
with? Yes, sir. That was one of the that was one of the changes from the presentation we gave you last week. We took that number down from 150 to 50,000 as a placeholder in there. Right now you have the annexation consultant for 125,000. You
got environmental study in there for 50,000. You have an economic development plan in there for 15,000. Property appraisals and surveys for 10,000. Chamber of Commerce development support of 12,750
and then a miscellaneous of 6,000. Is that breakdown captured on another page? No, sir. It will be in the budget book that we present next week in the footnote section. Okay. Make sure it's it's highlighted because you just want quick on that
breakdown. You said annexation 125,000. Yes, sir. That's the number at the moment. Say again. Yes, sir. That is the number that's in there at the moment. That was based on it was based on having gone out with an RFQ previously for $85,000 and felt the
response was inadequate. Mr. Gay thought would take $125,000 to get the job done. I guess a discussion for the commission and manager maybe not at this time because we're just budgeting. I'm not sure of putting $125,000
in there for annexation given the appetite around places these days um for that kind of money. You said you've put out RFPs and based on response that's why you up to 125.
It was an RFQ. Uh it came back at $85,000 to do the three areas, area A, B, and C. And Mr. Mr. Gay felt that was even what the proposal that came back was not adequate. He felt it would take
125,000 to do the job. Well, okay. I I'm I'm a proponent in some regards for annexation. I'm just not sure I want to commit that kind of money at this moment given the dynamics of how everything is working. um that that might be a footnote for me
to come back and uh address, but it's it's in the budget as a part of a bigger picture. So, as a part of the whole professional services um and based on your your statement, that's why you upped it because if you go back out, you
feel like you need to have more money in a line item. If I'm understanding you correctly, Mr. Mayor, I think Mr. Gay wants to speak. Mr. through the manager if if I could add a little further clarification. uh Gregory Gay, director of plan and
community development. We've been looking at this annexation process for quite some time. And even though there is the um I guess you say uh probation or or moratorum that is going on, we do have an understanding and we have heard
that there even even though this moratorum is in place, there are other areas in Miami Day County that are looking at opportunities to at least move forward with a a a study to basically do an analysis of what
particular areas they may be targeting. And some of those areas are some of the same areas that we're looking at as well. So, we really want to move forward as quickly as possible and that's why we have the allocation in place. We we would like to move forward with moving the annexation project as quickly as
possible. Let me see. Mayor, okay, one second. Commissioner, I I I follow that logic in a sense. I know exactly what you're saying. Um, okay. Let me that that's another discussion. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Commissioner F.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh um my question um though we really like to go to the annestation and I talking about because it's very important to be ready with that monitor
monitoring go away from the county and we have to have something in plans. I think the when we be oneonone we be talking about that in our meeting and I think it's a good idea okay to be ready for that day when the day coming uh I
really love to have you know some part for the annexation plans that we have and make our city extending okay to the size that that is right there for us for many leave. I remember the
first time that we go through I don't want to say anything about it but I know that we lost it for or we miss okay to get it uh because we not get together everybody and do the job. Uh good idea to have
that money in the budget out there m manager and finance lady because we had to be ready with that day coming. That's my opinion. I agree as well. Um, any other questions for building license?
I agree. Okay. All right. Are we moving on? Building and licenses. These are the objectives. I'm sorry, Mr. Bob. Yes, sir. Would you like to sit down and do this presentation because you've been
standing since 1:30. My 85 year old back is kind of but but if you you can the mic moves and you can sit here. Are you sure? I'm I'm masochist but thank you. Thank you for the offer. Mr. Mayor, can we also ask you like for
the next year or 27 at least we have some funding for lunch in that type of Please. This is lunch. They found my lunch. They told me that they told me that you were bringing it. Wow. We asked for lunch last year, the year before that, but boss lady over there
don't think we hungry. She said lunch break is at 12:00. That go ahead. Yeah. Very quickly, uh, primary, one of the very important things on this one is a consultant study to just investigate the operational and see what
can be done to possibly make it more efficient. uh a lot of these objectives are reliant on technology and uh it also makes reference to doing a fee study that expense for that fee study if you remember is in non-EP department
division 19 any questions if there are no questions that I'll move on to the next page any questions on the building and license objectives the objectives thank you Bass thank you um As always, I I'm
always concerned that we have enough bodies in our department. So, do we have enough bodies in that department? Marin Bernard, building license manager. Yes. Uh we have three clerks, a supervisor, manager. We do have the
building official. We have about six inspectors, although that they are part-time, but all six are part-time. Yes, we have two full-time. The building official is full-time. And then the
building uh we have a building inspector is also the housing inspector, I'm sorry, the housing inspector is also fulltime. He's fulltime. Yes. And you have how many part- times again? Six. Okay. Um, but as far as, you know,
operation, daily operations, we we're good. Okay. I mean, okay. Because having the part- timerrs save the city monies because we don't have to do insurance, all that other stuff. So, so
with that many part-time employees, how many hours per day do they work? They have the Let me see. They have all together in two weeks, they work 21 hours each. So, remember we have different
inspectors. We have mechanical, electrical, plumbing. So yeah, it's 21 hours every two paper every two weeks. So basically 10 and a half hours per week. Yes. Are they always here or when necessary?
They come in uh some days they come in to do review on the plans and then they do inspections. We email them the inspections and then if they have uh to come to the office on the days that they're not supposed to come, they actually come in and talk to us.
Okay. So, but you're good. Yes. Okay. Good. Perfect. Thank you. Good, Mr. Mayor. And those inspectors are part-time. They work at other municipalities as well. Okay. Commission. Um to the manager to Madame Maline.
It's only a comment that I want to do to your department. Okay. To asking the manager for that permit. It is in the last report that we have here for that youth department. I think that they get
number one in uh collecting revenue from outside in one month. Good. Well, I don't no I don't say not no I say she's one of the that department the collecting money. I don't go later on we
go when call enforcement. Yeah. Yeah, we have it. It ask me that like the that department doing a great job. Thank you. When the people that you have there and I know I understand all these impeers and all that, they really they really go
around and do the job the right way. It's only a comment. Then after that when remember when the time come for co enforcement, we're going to say something. Okay. I appreciate it. Thank you. I just want to chime in on that. that um building a license is one of those departments that generates revenue,
generates funds for the city. They work together with code enforcement. However, code enforcement is not a revenue generating department. It's more compliance. And that's what I've been um meeting with them to discuss more compliance. Although they do collect,
but it's supposed to be compliance to get people into compliance. Okay. Not a problem. And madame manager, last thing, I'm sorry. Um, I know we do uh contracted services with, you know,
other inspectors. Is there a way to contract with the county to get a derm inspector here? Is that something that we can explore? We can explore it. I've never I I'm not sure if that's something that that can be done, but we can definitely explore it. And
the only reason is I know a lot of now that you're when you have New business is taking over. The county is trying to play catch-up. So Durm is on steroids and a lot of our residents don't understand the process of Durm. So is there a way that we can bridge that
gap between the city of Opalaka and Mr. Austin giving me the eye like no but we'll we'll look around. They all there are other municipalities that have that's why I brought it up. is not
relationships, but Durm will help out. That's what I'm saying. Based on what? I think that based on advice from Durm. No, let's just try.
We forgot that they part of Day County. Any other qu right. Any other questions to building the licensing? Thank you, Mayor. Under professional Thank you. under the under professional services $25,000 for a consultant. Exactly. What is that consultant going
to do? The consultant. That's not the same thing. Vice Mayor, that as I mentioned a moment ago, that is for bringing somebody in to look at the way they do business to see if it could be more effective. Okay. This what the manager proposed
about looking at the whole department. Yes. I want them to do an overview of the entire department. Thank you. You off the hot seat, Miss Marilynette. Thank you. That's why I passed the mic. As they say, next on program is is parks and wreck.
Okay. You apparently you've reviewed the uh expense for the building license and therefore we'll move on. Parks and wreck. U they've got a new master plan which they've got to get their arms around. uh aggressive community outreach
to get more residents to use our services. There are no questions on this one. I'll move on to the next page. Okay, go ahead. We good. Here are the numbers. At the moment, you'll see 423,000
in for special events. Uh that is to be discussed later this afternoon and hopefully we can get to some better direction as to where you might want to take that number. Uh are there any other numbers on this page that catch your attention that I could uh give you some information on?
Any question on parks and wreck? I will move on. Is this where you wanted us to talk about the events? Are we doing that? This would be at the end because I think there'd be a long discussion. Like to get through this if we could. Police department objectives. Uh
probably one that has the greatest impact or greatest awareness is the last one we talked already. Five additional patrol positions. Also provision. There's funding in there to identify and get two people through
the police academy. Thank you for that, Mr. Bob. It only took you off. That's Please. Thank the police department. Yes, sir. The police department will be doing questions on this page. No, I know Commissioner Santiago had questions on the police department,
please. And I do have one question as it relates to the vehicles. Um, can one vehicle matter manage? I've been asking this for years. Be a sign to city hall where when our residents, not residents, where when our employees are making runs, they're not using their personal cars. Is there something that we can do
where they can sign it out? Mr. Austin, do you have an Do you have a vehicle? Which vehicle is that? What? What vehicle is that? Oh, there's something that's assigned to city hall. So he does
if if what it is, but just so yes, he does. Okay. They're doing city business. They have to make a run. They can use that and they can sign it out from here. And only brought it up because you said that we were bringing in more lease cars from the police department. All right.
As a reminder, we also use freebie. Okay. But let's just say if Miss Adelina Gross has to drive to a meeting in downtown or something. Yes, sir. Or to pick up services. That's my point. That they
they can sign the car out and and go about her business. Yes, sir. I had to get over to PW HQ. I use freebie. But that mean you got to take freebie from here to the next city then they freebie to the next. That's been a long ride.
You can ride for a while. Do we have any questions on the police department objective? Yes, sir. Mr. Mayor, Commissioner Santiago, thank you. Um, question. Do we have any increase for the next
year for the budget for the police department? So, we are in um PBA negotiations at this time. That's something that we will be looking to looking into and to incorporate in this budget. Okay. Yeah. I think that we touched that
in the uh commissioner meeting last night. Yeah. And um and um that I'm concerned and keep our police department alive out. uh when you're talking about
to replacing cars and all that. What I going to say is yes is it's true to do that because uh that that car be using it every day all the time and we can see maybe 18 hours a day probably and I know that
after four five years okay a lot of the police department they're replacing us and they they reduce a lot of cost in in mechanics and all that and things Um
the bigger concern with the police department that I have today is we have to keeping always and you know on time whatever they need because that's the that's the main key that we have for
safety here in the city and to make to keep him you know listen people outside they say the opalaka doing well in crime and everything. A lot of people learn already uh chief star that many of the
crime that they coming out in TV sometime they not happen here they happen in the other side of Miami garden but they call in opalaka and I hope the that budget coming for 26 including
their salary increase for our police officers. Madame manager, I'm so sorry. I hope and that's it. I love to see that
for the next 26 bar year, we including moon in there for our police officer salary. Yes, we're including money. We will be including money in increases in the budget for all department.
Yeah. And I can't go into that. But I don't say any amount. I only say that I hope because I I want to I want to hurt a good news not bad news about that. Thank you. Thank you. No problem. Mr. Mayor Yeah. Mr. Mayor, I just have a question about um
something he's saying so I would know. I know with our employees their raises to my knowledge is based upon their performance. Am I correct? With our employees, our regular employees. that for the non nonbargaining employees.
Yes, ma'am. No, as I said before, uh the increases are based either on union contracts or based on valuations each year. Okay. So, my question is when police officers get raises is not based upon their their performance. It's just based
upon what the because I think it should be based upon their performance. Let's keep it real. Police get increases. They get step increases and they get um the increase that's in their bargaining and once they finish with their step they get longevity.
So it has nothing to do with their performance. I could come to work every day and do nothing and I would still get a raise regardless. Yeah. Wow. But this is not a problem that we have when the police department I want to make it clear. Okay. One of the
situation that we have is that they they get better places somewhere. Okay. that they pay better and we lose a lot of good police officers sometime. That's it. That's it. I don't want to say that. But that's one of the problem we have. Let's dive into the deep water, Mr.
Mayor. And I've been saying this for years. Uh regard regardless whether it's police or any anywhere else, many times people don't come to the city expecting to get big city money or whatever. but they'd like to get it, but they know that we're not um there economically to
be able to give. I think the answer that the manager is giving um based on contracts, uh union contracts, of course, they're negotiating, we're negotiating, and whatever that comes out to will come back to the commission for a final vote. Again, keeping in mind,
whatever we do in terms of these contracts that may go beyond what's budgeted was going to require a deduction somewhere else. Um, keep that in mind. And just like you have the union contract, you also have the non folks who are in union uh who also is
based on performance evaluation. I think that's kind of a mis um challenge. I've always had a challenge with that because on one hand, you're basing it on my performance. On the other hand, I'm going to get whatever because the
contract says it and that's always been a challenge of mine. Um, I I will defer to wait until the contracts are done and see what is negotiated, what the manager recommends, and then we can really address it. I think all of us want to
see uh not only public safety, but all of our employees uh treated fairly as best they can. But I will tell you, it's not always based on money. Sometime based on how you treat me. I can I can deal with less money if you treat me correctly and I feel like I'm getting a
fair shake. And I'm not gonna get into specifics of the police department, although I could, but I think all of us want to see our officers taken care of, treated the best that we can treat them, but I think we want that for all of our employees. So, I don't want to start even giving out numbers or get too deep.
I will just say uh to my colleagues when the contracts are negotiated and it comes back to us which it will if we feel like those numbers are not where we want them to be uh we can make any adjustments want to make but it's going to mean taking some dollars from
somewhere. I think what you have in the U proposed uh budget is some numbers. Obviously they're not etched in stone. So I'll wait for those uh contracts to be done. But I would say um and I know it's a challenge but madame manager
between you and the HR director to look at that imbalance the fact that you can get a raise get a whatever and it's not based on really performance just because you're in that unit and maybe that's something you all can talk about in your
negotiations as well. But I I don't like to hear this statement or this this this perception that we are not concerned about folks being treated fairly or getting raises or getting whatever. We love all our employees. Want everybody to see and do the best they can within
the parameters of our budget. But a lot of that has to do also with how folks are treated. You know, don't give me the raggedy vehicle and somebody else got the Lamborghini and they're doing less. Make it fair. Um, and that goes across the board with any department regardless
of any vehicle. Um, I think madam manager, you're saying that you're I think you said last night you have a meeting uh with PBA since we talking about the police uh coming up in August. So your intent I'm quite sure before we deal with the actual budget or pass it,
you will have a um number or whatever you all have agreed on to come back to the commission for a final vote. Yes, that is the intent to have it incorporated in our budget before it's passed. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, Commissioner,
um for the red light cameras for that permit, have we heard from the county yet on that permit? Um we have heard from Villa, is it Bill Verility? Verbility. Yeah. who has been um meeting with our staff, speaking to our staff on
a weekly basis and trying to coordinate um with the county. There hasn't been much improvement. Um it's probably going to get to the point where the elected officials will have to step in and reach out to the county to see what's going on
because they're not getting anywhere. the permitting for the red light cameras the county it's it it to your meeting with district one you know city su also sued the county too seriously on another
at that point um on a on a on a more uh um cheerful note I guess I want to commend the uh manager and the police chief um for actually eliminating the assistant chief position
and adding the two officers. I think that speaks volume uh to want to make sure we put people on the streets. And so I know eliminating that position plays into the whole financial side of it because I know initially was three and as you said, Mr. Mayor went up by
two to five, which is what we really want to see folks out in the community and patrolling. So, I don't want to overlook something like that because a lot of times, um, people want to be topheavy. Um, but we need to have folks that are out there in the community. So, community chief for that to making sure
to eliminate because you could have put somebody number two that makes your job a lot easier. Um, as opposed to having officers, but I think having officers will make it a lot easier. But I wanted to notate that as well. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. What was that?
Any other questions to our uh police chief, madam manager or um our budget director? Just a quick question, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. So, our manager, what um percentage of our budget goes to the police department? Go ahead.
Of the general fund, including the transfers expenses, about onethird. It's about $11 million out of $30 million. Okay. Excuse me. Thank you. Yes, ma'am. And before we move on, I piggy back on
um Vice Mayor, thank you for finally allowing us to recruit and put um officers in the academy so that we can retain them. However, I just want to make sure that we do some kind of contract with said officer or that employee that once you go through the
academy, you belong to Opaaka for a certain amount of years and if you don't stay with us, then we want our money back. Okay. I just want just want to make sure one other thing. Uh I know I mentioned before and good standings. Um
I know we have the reserves. Are you still looking or at least um whatever term looking into the auxiliary police um concept Mr. Mayor to to the
um yes we are um we actually had a sit down with 11 um reserve officers today. We are excited about continuing through the process with them. They already know what the expectations are and what we're looking for in seeking for community
involvement. So, we are in the process of continuously promoting the reserves um which is a program that will help for one on both ends will provide us with the the number of officers that we need in the field but most importantly they're able to keep their
certification. So it does benefit on both ends. As far as the auxiliary program, which is similar to the reserve program, it it's it's pretty much the same, but we'll seek into looking more with the reserve the auxiliary. However, the reserve program has been very effective through our agencies, and
we're looking to increase that number even more if we can with the permission of the city manager to at least up to 15 because they only get paid a dollar a year and they're providing us with the service that we need 20 hours a month. So right now it's a good process. Okay. Thanks for the explanation. It's
not it has nothing to do with the reserve program. I like the reserve. I understand it. It was just to look into the auxiliary just to see if something to explore to see if it was something that could be beneficial to the city cuz years ago it was a part of the city program in addition to reserves. It
wasn't to replace it. uh just to look to see if it was something that could be beneficial um for our police department to just beef it up in some areas that maybe people are not reserved but they may be interested in auxiliary. It was just to look at that um not to replace
or to you know I'm a big fan of the dollar folks. They know that when I have meeting the first thing I ask for is the reserves. So I appreciate that. I just to look into it and I guess whatever your findings you feel like it's something that is not doable or just not worth the effort. Uh I just like to to
know that but I just wanted to explore it as part it's not really a budgetary issue at this moment but you know okay thank you. Wait chief before you leave because commissioner I mean vice mayor said a word explore twice in his speech. I
don't see my explorers in your budget. The explorers are actually they're it's on my page over there. You have it on I don't see them. I see much set aside for the uh we are going to be doing a big uh meet and greet in August with the the
new explorers that we're bringing into the program. Okay. And this includes uniforms, lunch, um insurance, all of that. Nine yards. Absolutely. Yes. I just want us to be not a repeat of this here.
Yeah. Competition, everything, graduation. Mr. Mayor, they are in that other category, which is a reasonably big number for this department given it's so big, but it is how much? How much? How much? I think it's about 10,000. We can take a look very quickly. Page 87, please.
What page? Not enough. What page was that? 87. Okay. You said the 10,000. That was the issue that we had this year. I believe that's what we have in there. We need to up that. SM, can I ask a question while we
um Yes, ma'am. Thank you. How many explorers do we have at this time? Currently, we have five that's in the program. We initially started off with a lot more than that. Um but we do have five. We are in the process of revamping the program to ensure that each child
does have insurance and they are documented accordingly. Uh so there is some revisions being made and that's being handled by the explore pro the explore the reserve officers. Um how many do you anticipate or what are your your goals? Uh the goals is to increase that number
to 15 to 20. Okay. Do you we have any potential explorers that are interested? We actually have some that are currently working in the intern program provided through the HR department that has shown an interest. Okay. Thank you. You're welcome.
All right. But chief, madam manager, that $10,000, that's what we had last year. Um, we need to up that. Last year, I believe the pro the the uh budget last year was 4,000. I remember y'all kept saying 10. That's
why it's a good that number always stuck out to me 10 because I never thought that that was enough. Well, mayor, Mr. Mayor, I'd like to see that go to at least 15 or 20. At least 15. I know it was 40. You had down there 40600 or something. Yes.
For last. And you're budgeting for 10 um this year, correct? But as Commissioner Bass was saying and asked about increasing, you said hopefully get up to 15. Um, so I' I'd like that to, you know, suggest to my colleagues at least 15. So it's more
than enough. Um, I think we all like it. Well, I don't I don't never want to see them t-shirts again and what I still had in my memory. It's been year. I know they don't upgrade it, but I still in my memory I did not like that. Um, so I I prefer to
uh mad manage to up that to 15. If you don't need to use it, that's fine, but you got people coming in. We don't want that. You know, ain't no money budgeted for what do we say? No, no shirt, no no pants. Oh. So, you know, to piggyback
off what Commissioner Bash was saying in terms of the numbers that you open up. So, I'd like to suggest, Mr. Mayor, that we move that at least to 15. At least 15. I don't know anybody that's $5,000 more. Vice I'm I'm sorry. I I I I think you should
try to get the 20 cuz especially if we want an effective program, like a real explore program, I don't think we should short change the children. And you got kids that are actually into it, but we need to invest in them. And that that will cover their
lunch, that will cover the insurance, all of which we don't do now. that will cover new uniforms because they need sets of uniforms, the the physical uniforms, the t-shirts, and then their the that dress class, whatever. And it also include recruitment. Thank you,
Mr. Mayor. Recruitment. 20 is the magic number. That's Yeah, so we can go ahead and put it for 20 and and if it's not used, it's not used. It can go towards something else, but we'll definitely have it budgeted. Thank you, Madam. All right. Any other questions? Oh, yeah. Just one quick question. What is the age
range for the explore program is from 12 to 17. Thank you. All right. Any other questions for the police chief? All right. Thank you, chief. Moving on to our um co-
compliance. I have on the screen right now the expense profile for the police department. Are there any questions that I can answer? That's what he I'll take that as a no. Um, you know what? Yes.
Before before you leave, it's really more of a question. I'm not more of a statement, Mr. Mayor, to the manager and the police department in terms of vehicles. And I know as was brought up earlier about some of the vehicles transitioning out, you got to purchase new ones. One of my always ch of my
challenge has always been um damaged vehicles and how are we going to do that? I'd like to see uh a better robust Mr. anthem. Uh that's inside joke for y'all don't know. Robust um program of how we deal
with damaged vehicles um and how we hold folks accountable for um damaged vehicles. Damaged and maintenance. Well, right. Definitely. Yeah. Because and I say that because a lot of time it's lumped into that one line item. We don't know where it's at,
which whether it's public works, police, whatever. So, but we need to deal with that. Um because some of these vehicles that get damaged um yeah accountability as my colleague is saying we need to deal with that and the maintenance to
take care of you know I'm quite sure I know you have somebody I guess in public works or somewhere that's supposed to be overseeing that but even the maintenance side because I'm quite sure you get announcements or something that come to say oh it needs to be changed or you know um but we need to I need to I'd
like to know what that that program or that part looks at how it looks and we have folks sign I'm quite sure they have to sign off or something as a part of driving or maintaining um that I see some of the vehicles they have a little nick today and next week
it's a little bigger and next week it's a little bigger um and I've accessed in the past over the last year and a half when I look at the repairs or the maintenance all usually in one little lump uh line item so you don't know where it's at u but That's a concern I
have. So, if we could um get that to the commission of that process and how we hold folks accountable on the maintenance and the um damage side. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Yeah. One second. Sorry. Yeah. I don't know, but it's coming in
my my um while vice mayor talking about the cars and all that and the city the city can have electrical cars. It's not a a big way to saving a lot of money in gas and all the maintenance.
You know that the electrical car the only thing they did is electric and I b it and that's it. No oil change nothing like that. But it is something that we can you know like making a story to see if we can have in the future electrical
cars here for if that's the intent of the commission. We can look at how we can do it in phases. But as of right now we just purchased brand new vehicles for oh most of our employees. So that's something that would have to be it's something future you know like we
can we can be talking you know because I see city the the police department they have electrical cars and a lot of money saves it's only on on an idea that down manager no we can definitely look at and bring
it back to the commission on how we can do it in phases. Yes that's a good and the cost and the costs. Yeah. Well, and I say that because we got to build. I have a friend of mine when a Tesla and
he say to me that he's saving $6,000 this year in gas. That's a lot of money. He He traveling a lot from from Naple to Miami. She's gonna give him money. And that's he say,
"Oh, and I think the federal government have uh something, you know, when the electrical cars are Yeah. that they don't pay tax no more." Okay. Okay. All right. No problem. I was trying to say that, but thank you, Mr.
Auction to saving money. Yeah. Don't go to Mike and say that. We'll be Your mic is off. Mr. Mayor. Oh, before you go on about to talk about electric cars,
I just have a question about um the clerk's budget. We are well back. It's It was quick. I already got Mr. Bomb telling me don't rush him. And you It's gonna be one minute. Go
ahead. I'm on page 80. of the booklet. Um, Mr. Anathan, if you look, what's the page number? What's the page number? Page 80. 80. Page 80, please. At the beginning, you see where it says travel and perdem.
The forecast 2000 proposed six, but then it says over under forecast 36,500. Is that correct? Probably. That's new math. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. In other words, Miss Anthony, she's
saying that math ain't math. And that's what you're saying. Listen, that wasn't adding up. The math ain't math. How could a budget How could a budget administrator ask for anything more
during a budget review? All right, we moving on to code compliance. Yes, sir. Any questions? Oh, go ahead. M um Mr. Bob, thank uh page 46, please. Again, you'll you'll see a consultant
here to uh evaluate efficiency, possibly make improvements to operation. Another important one is to get all code officers fully trained and qualified. Any questions on this one, please?
Any questions to code and compliance? Um, vice mayor I think. Um, thank you. In my um again in the professional services that's 25,000 to do a study for efficiency andor
whatever for the department. That's correct. code and building. Okay. And the um I know we're doing a pay you were doing a pay plan analysis for the whole city. So that's still
that hadn't come before us yet though. The pay plan? No, it hasn't come. It hasn't come before us. Not yet. Um okay. because that was a challenge I brought up in terms of the um pay of code officers after we went through the challenge with the CRA trying to get
that one filled and the trucks. Um I know the environmental CRA person is supposed to you said they were getting a truck through public works. Yes. And that truck has been identified. Yes, it's been put into the budget. Yes,
sir. put in the budget. Yes, sir. So, it's a new truck. Yes, sir. Oh, I was told I was getting a truck y'all already had. I can't hear you. On a temporary assignment.
Um, so we're going to buy a new truck for the environmental code person, but until then, we're using a one of our available trucks in the fleet.
Okay. So, yeah, that's new. Um, okay. Okay. And that one is the one that's required for the compliance of the the um environmental. So that truck, even though it's cold, it's going to have that on the bottom of somewhere in its insignia,
storm water compliance. Yes, sir. Okay. And I know there was some um increase for furniture equipment because they need more more space um because you got more offices now. Yes, sir. Part of the CIP plan is to
expand that office and with that would come additional furniture. Okay. And on the equipment side, I think you all told me uh you were adding 9,000 for radios. Yes, sir. That's the intent. That is
still under evaluation, but that's the intent. What do you mean evaluation? To see what the best option is to get them uh connected to the police department. Okay. So, the the radios that they're going to get would be connected to the police department. That's the intent. Yes, sir. Okay. When y'all going to decide to know
intent? I I don't like playing words. So, that's the intent, but when are you going to know? Cuz is that a technology issue or is that a I believe the technology is undergoing change. I thought it was resolved. It was brought to my attention the other day that what we were talking about might be obsolete equipment and there we
have to go back to the drawing board. So will the 9,000 be enough since you got to go back to drawing board for equipment? It could be in fact it could if in fact it's the same program that the police might get. It would not it'd be no
expense for the first two years. We're looking at various options at this point because the police radios are going to be switched out as well. The police radios will be switched out. That's what he was that's what he's referring to. They were going to be using the same thing as the police, but
those radios are no good. So, the police would need new ones and whatever they get. Cole would be doing the same. Okay. So, the intenders wait for the police to switch theirs out. Yes. And then Cole will get the same can so they could talk to them or whatever that they'll have a channel to be able to communicate directly through the
directly with them. Okay. Um All right. So Okay. And they will have enough that they you will have five vehicles plus the new one. But you have total of six
code. No sir. Six in code uh six in the code department plus one more in the storm water department. You have that's the the one that Mr. Austin's referring to. No, I'm referring to six in the code
department. You're going to have seven six code officers plus a code supervisor. You're going to have one vehicle that's used by both a daytime officer and a nighttime weekend officer. You have seven people in the code department who need vehicles. that's
going to be satisfied with six trucks. Well, that's more of a internal administrator. I'm not referring to that that deep. I'm just saying you're going to have um six code vehicles in total plus a supervisor. Is that what you're telling me? Yes, sir. They're going to be six in the
code department, one in the storm water division. Total of seven. So, you got seven vehicles. Yes, sir. Okay. So the the the the derm the whatever the public works I know you you call environmental one. Yeah. They're not under code.
They take direction from code. They report to storm water. They're part of the stormwater division. Their compensation and all things such as the vehicles are going to be reported in the stormwater division. So they report to code. Um because I remember when this came up
because of the the legislation and the law. They're in cold and they will be doing the environmental stuff sometime and the other time they're in doing whatever code would need them to do. Right. Wherever. That's still the intent. Yes, sir.
Okay. So, basically you got supervisor and six or six officers. I'm not talking about the day and night thing. Yeah. Six officers plus a supervisor in the code department. a seventh officer in
the storm water department. Okay. Um so at any given time we've got six folks out there excluding the supervisor. Uh the answer would be yes except one would be nights and weekends. That person I'm not really getting into the
scheduling. I I got the day and night because the manager might decide she wants all of them out there night. So, I'm not getting to that part. Okay. I'm just saying there are six code officers in addition to a supervisor plus a code officer in the storm water division. Total seven. Seven officers.
Yes, sir. So, seven officers plus a code supervisor. Yes, sir. So, at any given time, we could have seven code officers somewhere in our city depending upon their scheduling. That's correct. Okay. Um, okay. Let me stop right there
for a moment. Let catch my breath. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Yeah, Mr. Mayor. Commissioner Santiago. Thank you. Um, they be talking about seven new cars. Most of them are already on board. We're talking about one one new one for the
storm water department. Okay. One. The other six are and it's already be purchased. Say again, sir. It's already in contract. No, it's coming. The seventh one is not in contract at this moment. It will be shortly. Good. Okay. And do that art is for public work.
It is for I'll I'll call it storm water, but it's public works. Public utilities. Yes, sir. But why we talking about code enforcement uh cars and how many go enforcement we have in the street? That's what we be talking about. No. Why? I don't want to know.
Because that storm water um employee that that he's referencing is a cold officer. Okay. Good. But he focuses on storm water. And when he's not doing storm water, he'll be working with the regular code officers throughout the city. Good. Yeah. Okay. But before that, I think that I heard there's that going to
be uh seven people in that uh job and they need seven vehicles, seven cars might have cars. Yes, they already have cars. They have they don't need it. They No. Oh, okay. All right. I said I want to be sure because I say if we're going to
purchase it that type of, you know, vehicle for co enforcement, let's go, you know, and search again for electrical vehicle for code enforcement here. Hey, 4 and a half um 4 and a half square mile this city. My god, they're going to be uh connecting the car every
every month because they're not going to spending too much on gas even if they take the car home. Good. That's the only I want to be sure that they don't talking about purchaser cars for co enforcement. But madam manager for the
future please yes search okay to see we saving more morning emergency electrical cars that's on our to-do list. Thank you. You're welcome. Okay. Any other questions for code compliance?
All right, Commissioner Bass. Uh in my opinion, I don't think we have enough code officers. Um that's just my opinion because I don't I know that our code department works hard as well as our other departments but we
me I cannot always see the work that our code um department is doing because there's so much work to be done. um not taken away from the apartment at all, but I just think that in my opinion, I don't know if you feel the same. Um we
need more bodies because I don't think that our um I just think we need more bodies. That's that's it. But I I think they're looking for it because the other day I heard the one of the code enforcement person have two
people were handing the car training. Three. Three. All three me I think they looking for replacement number would that take us to? Yeah yeah still at six seven yeah and and how many I'm sorry
Mr. Come here. How many persons are on the street at the same time? Mhm. Mhm. But are do you feel as if they are in your department enough? Whatever they need.
come back or do the same thing call you know return call that one hour Miss Wilcox I think what she what she's asking you is do you have do you need more officers in your department Mr. Mayor, can she speak in the mic cuz
we need Oh, to record for the minute. Yeah. Okay. So, the only bass I I'm I kind of sort of agree with you. However, I know that the manager is bringing in a consultant to do a study to enhance operational effectiveness. So, I would I
would say let's wait until we get the findings back from the consultant to see what we need to do and where changes need to be made, especially as it relates to getting more bodies. Agreed. Mhm. So that's just my opinion. No, but because of what you just said.
Yeah, we'll I'll wait and see where we go from there. But then the other question that I would ask, madam manager, the consultant's going to come in in Octoberish. When you going to and when do you when do you plan on having the findings? Um they'll well we'll we'll start as it goes.
We'll start to uh once the budget is approved, we'll start to um get the consultant on board. Okay, got it. Okay, cool. Um, question for Miss Wilma. Any questions for Miss Wilma? Yeah. Do you have a question for Miss Wil? Yeah. Oh, no. No. She wanted you to
It's okay. I'm fine. In that mind. Yeah. I'm doing now. Yeah, we're good. Any questions? Yes. Yeah. Do you have a question? Um, uh, Miss Wma, the same radios the code enforcement use is the same frequency for the police department.
Currently, we do not have radios. Oh, you don't have no radios? We um sit with the chief and um Mr. Anathan and come to the conclusion that I guess when the the police department um switch
out their radios we will then get their old radios until they are obsolete because eventually they will be obsolete. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. It's only a question because I know uh the police department that we be talking
about the radio they already is me they now no more what they using now. Okay. But co enforcement don't don't need radios. Well for now, right? Well, we haven't had them for a while. Okay.
Um actually staff was concerned about safety and sometimes when they may come into a situation Yeah. where they have to literally dial to get in touch with an officer, it would be quicker for them at a click of a button. And I agree with that, you know. Good. Okay.
Yeah, we can added that. Okay. Any other questions to Miss Wilox? Mayor, Vice Mayor, you say you're getting the old radios from the police department. That's what they we talked about. Yes. because of the cost for for per radio
and the chief can speak on that because I'm not familiar with how that works. Mr. Anathan, you don't have a line item for radios for code cuz I was under the impression that they were getting new radio. It was well he said it was um 9,000 I believe at the moment we have $9,000 in there
under uh I think computer equipment. Can you bring up the chief maybe give the clarity on that? Can you Yes, please. And chief, and I know this is something that you all discussed. It wasn't discussed
with me. I do not support that coal get the old radios because if they don't work for police, then they're not going to work for code and they're not going to be compatible. So all of that passing them down, I don't support it. But you can go ahead. So the current radio, thank you, Madam Manager. I was about to ask
you, Mr. Mayor, should I say you're ready for that? That was my exact statement. That was if you get it, they need to get number one, they need to get radios. Um because the way things are out there now, they need to be able to get a office if they needed to get it. And so,
madam manager, I'll let you meet with them. I know it's 9,000. I don't know if that was enough for new radios to be compatible. I understand waiting for the new budget or when they going to change over the but they need radios with a frequency or um hook up to the police
department. And I remember when before years ago they had that ability and it's probably even more challenging uh now. So madam manager you took that the word Miss Wilcox Miss Wilcox just walk away
with the phone. What happened? Um that happens to me too. So I know that happens to me. you um you you answered it correctly. So, we'll wait for you because they need to have the same um radios. Matter of
fact, and I'm going back historically now when I was mayor, they had radios and tablets. Now, I don't know about the compatibility for all that now, but back then they had the tablet and the the radios. Now, I'm going back 200 five, four, six, I don't know. Um, and that
may not be compatible now, but um, I'll wait on not only the the study or whatever, but we definitely need if they're going to get radios, they need to be right on the same line, not anything old or passed down um or what
have you. Um, yeah, they need to Mr. Mayor, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You're dead. Go ahead. Go ahead. I'm sorry. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, I was observing chief and she was shaking her head as we said that $9,000 that is not enough if it's going to be covering
the police department as well as code. Am I right? If I can intercede, my understanding is the first two years it's free. Therefore, the $9,000 would be too much. Oh. Oh, okay. You mean you want
Okay. So, there's an agreement through Motorola and Motorola since these radios that we currently have are becoming obsolete. Um, basically Motorola has a a special that they're offering to law enforcement where we have two years free. However, the the first year is
free, the second year is just a subscription, which is a very minimal amount. After that second year, then of course, we'll have to pay it it's leased, but we only play pay a small percentage until it's paid for the following years. So that information and
we can always add a number of radios under the police, but I would definitely want to sit down with the city manager first to see how we're able to to do that. I'm happy you said that. Oh, I'm sorry. The third year, the 9,000 obviously won't be enough. Well, that that's under that's under
their budget under the code enforcement budget, but each radio does have a cost which is more than 9,000. Okay. Thank you. and to Chief Miss Wilcox. Um, next week we all need to meet to discuss it because all of us need to be on the same page, including
IT and procurement because nobody's on the same page and I don't like it. All right. Any other questions for CO compliance? Thank you. Uh, we going into beautifification. Sir
continue sorry contining progress in maintaining both the buildings and the grounds and do audit. Any questions or concern to beautifification at this moment? Um you're proposing the 15 and they're
fully um it's fully staffed now. You have all they're all positions are filled in the beautifification and maintenance division. Good afternoon Mr. Owen Carney intermification
and maintenance division. Can't hear you. Mr. Carney interim uh beautifification and maintenance manager. Yes, currently we had 15.
Okay. Um I know we did not do any beautifification initiatives outside the the one we did actually through the CRA. Um I'm kind of concerned. I'm assuming, no,
let me assume the tree trimming because I think we ought to um and I mentioned in my briefing uh on the budget about that. So, is this 27,000 is that like a first step for that or that something you already have budgeted as part of beautifification?
No, that is the first step. And how do we come up with the 27,000 as the initial starting point? Yes, sir. I took a portion out of other contract service we had in there and started with $27,000
just to get it started. Okay. I I don't know um how that works. I guess I'll ask Mr. Carish since he's the um interim
director. To me, $27,000 is not enough considering all the trees we got all over the city that needs to be trimmed. And I'm not even talking about just outside. I'm talking about even some of our city properties. When I go to Ingram Park, those trees need to be trimmed. I go to see need to be trimmed. When I go
So, just on city properties that need trimming, not in addition to other areas throughout the city that um need trimming. So just my opinion, it should be higher than 27, but give me your thoughts since you're in the division.
Yes, the 27 basically just a starter. It is a lot of free, not only just our facility. It could be outside as well other than the facility that we have predicy, but it's just a starter, but it can't increase. Okay. But will we be doing that or would that be a contract? Somebody else doing it.
It would be split between us and the contractor. The 27,000. Yes. Well, you got No, but it's the internal charge. I don't, Vice Mayor. The 27,000 would be for a
third party outside. You would not see You would see if we do, it would be up in the compensation line. Say it again. I'm sorry. If we were to if to the extent we do tree trimming, that's in the compensation line. You would not see it in this line here.
It would be in the compensation. Why would it be over there? Because it's our employees. You said if we do it. Well, I'm saying if I'm working eight hours, yeah, why why couldn't I just trim a tree inside of my eight hours? Why would that be addition? That wouldn't be additional. No, sir. I didn't say it would. I'm just
saying we don't if we if our own employees do a particular line item of work, it does not show up in there. In other words, we could we could take the entire division, have them tree trim for the year, and that line would be zero.
Okay? My my my concern or my thought process is we got a lot of trees throughout the city that need to be trimmed. Some of them may be side to swell. They may be in some of our actually city properties, but to me
27,000 is not enough. My question is if tomorrow, you know, you got parks over in England, I use them because I'm over there a lot. They like trees that need to be trimmed. Trimmed back. So our staff would not be doing that or they would be doing that.
They would be doing that. We'll be doing that. Yes, sir. Okay. So then the 27,000 you're referencing uh in this budget is just for outside folks that we could not do. That's correct. The the the taller trees that's in mediums like Sharad, they
those are taller trees that going to need boom to get that high. Okay. Okay. But is that something we're doing or something contractor is doing? Contractor. Okay. So, tell me more trees we we can trim. For instance, when you stated around the park, they're not that high park.
They're trimming off the off the fence line. Okay. Um I'm not sure 27,000 is it is enough. Um cuz I'm hearing conflicting. I'm hearing outside but I'm hearing inside. So if we
do it inside, we have the equipment to do it. Yes, we do. If we got a slope slope uh saw that could reach that a certain distance. Yeah, we have it. Okay. So we got the equipment to do it. It's just a matter of us doing it.
Yes, sir. And the 27,000 then is just for outside entity that we cannot reach. Yes sir. Okay. So how much how many in the trees on our properties or somewhere can we do? Currently I don't have a figure to give
you that right now. Okay. I'd like to know that because if we could be doing the trees, we should have already been doing the trees. And all the thing I always hear is we got to get a third party contractor because we either um don't do it or they had equipment. So now you
tell them we got the equipment, we got the 15 people total. Um and so the only people we got to really go outside for the 27 if it's something really high that we can't do. Correct. So is tree trimming already built into our schedule?
Yes, sir. Okay. So how often do we do tree trimming? Uh currently, um not that we don't have it that many times. We going to start scheduling them to do it more. Okay. M manager. I like to see that that
that schedule. Um yeah, I'd like to see that schedule because we we've got a lot of trees throughout the city and particularly on our properties and on our, you know, own fence lines or whatever that need to be trimmed. I didn't know we had a a
schedule for tree trimming. So, I'd like to definitely uh know more about that. Um, okay. And and the beautifification division, are they also responsible for the I know we're doing new gateways and stuff, but they're responsible for those
too, flowers, shrubbery, and all that around those once we get them redone or whatever. No, the the the gateways are done by the contractor service. The maintenance for the maintenance after the maintenance after not putting up. No, no. The maintenance is that's done
by the contractor service. For instance, I just added the the the new gateway on 27. I just added that to the contractor service that we have that do the alleys. I just added that to the the responsibility. And why do we do that? Cuz that's why can't we why wouldn't we we can't do
something that simple? I mean, we may not have a capability for alleys because that's might be a little bit more. But we added that to the contract of the Yes. Because of the workload, sir. Why we why we do that? I don't I mean that's something to me
very because now we got to actually ask them to go replace the shrubbery or or move a plant or ask for mulch. No. No. They do not maintenance mean cutting, not not planting. They maintain
by cutting and trimming, not planting. Well, I'm talking about the gateway areas, right? Little mulch and flowers you see around Welcome Opalaka, right? You're saying you you're contracting that with our contractor? The contractor not only cut it, but they would also spray the mulch as well.
Okay. Well, who put the mulch down? Who put the little plants down? Who put the little flowers down? Who would do that? They would do that. The flowers was done to uh CIP. But once the flowers are planted, Mr. Mr. Mr. Owen, going forward, who's going to ensure
that the the plants are watered, that the mulch is replaced, that the the the weeds are removed? Who's doing that part? We are doing the the contract do the trimming, but we do far as the the tree the maintenance is a split decision between us and the contractor.
So, I think why can't we do it fully? That way we don't have to ask per we don't have to because of the workload of of the staffing that we have. I I can I can give you some answer for that though that's the answer though a
vice mayor want to hear hidden from you. Okay. I believe that the reason why you don't what that department don't do it is because maybe they don't know how to do it. They're not professional. We don't have the right person there to
doing it. You don't think is right. What I say loud and clear. Okay. Did they know what they do? Because I went vice mayor like why we don't do it if it the city why we
had to hide in a third a third party. We hid in a third party because maybe they know what they do. No. And we don't know what what they're doing in that. The third party is already has been doing the gateways not just the new gateways but other welcoming sign the the other.
Yeah. But he be talking about everything about alleyways everything that we have. If we have a p a public work department here in the city. I know that around all the city public work department do a lot of things
and this is one of you know the part that they do that they uh be uh you know maintain the beautifification of the cities especially in the menro that's only my opinion but this is the reason why okay sometime we don't doing the
right thing we don't doing the good job that we're supposed to do good because we don't have the professional people. Professional is not me that they can be a doctor, but it is me in the Lancing area. No, I wouldn't say that. Mr. Mayor, I I'm okay. I'm I'm not
getting into the staff's ability. I'm just saying I don't understand why we'll be contracting out something as simple as gateways, something as simple as mulch or little flowers around the mediums, things of
that nature. I got alleyways. I got the tree is too big. So, we got to get a contract because that requires a specific truck. I'm talking about the simple. You're saying to me that we split it with a contract and then you also mentioned CIP. So, I'm really
trying to understand for something in my opinion, I don't cut grass, whatever. I don't have a green thumb at all. Um, why we would need to do that. My biggest concern, let me just wrap it up cuz time is moving. Madam manager, we need to be able to
beautify better. And I I'm thinking if you got 15 folks u and they got the equipment as to Mr. con saying why we don't make sure the flowers dead or the plant is out of season or the mulches done died down. It shouldn't take for me
or my colleagues to call you to say spruce it up. It ought to be on some kind of schedule. We know certain times of the year certain flowers and plants are more prevalent um than others. Um and this is the only time I can capture this. So, if it's not an equipment
issue, if it's not a staffing issue, we just decided to split the contract. I'm just saying why are we doing that? Why not have our staff? Now, if we don't have the time, I don't know if that's what you're saying. We don't have the time to do it. Um, I'm not I'm not sure,
but I I need to get clarity. And for the sake of time, I'll let you, madam manager, bring that back to us cuz to me, that's something we ought to be doing um inhouse and we're spending money on our new look to come into the city. And I know for a period of time is under
contract, but after a certain while it comes to us and I'm talking about whether it's 22nd, 27, Jihara's ad, the one over by where former Vice Mayor Johnson stays behind Owen Dixie, all those kind of areas like that. Um to me
in addition to our roundabouts cuz even right now roundabouts we cut them sometime but the flowers are shrubbery and to me I I'm thinking that's something we should be able to do as a part of beautifification since we got that number of folks. So I'm not in I'm not talking about their ability or
whatever. Um I'm just saying enough manpower and staffing and that that's what I'm I'm getting at. No vice mayor. What I was stating earlier was that the contract the contracted services that we was already cutting gateways in the contract service.
If I may, they're not doing a good job. And I'm saying that because yesterday I was driving down 27th a 151st and it looks horrible. The gateway right there, it's embarrassing. So 151st and 27th Avenue,
it is hideous. So apparently they not doing their jobs. We we share the same concern with regards to that gateway. Um we are having some challenges with that location because that's the gateway is on a piece of property that's not owned by the city. So we will be taking um
some other steps to to to correct that issue. But we we share the same concern and we can't do anything about that property right now. M madam manager, I'm sorry. All right. And I brought this up to you before and because it's always been a challenge for
me. Building maintenance and beautifification. Beautifification and maintenance. Job is to do beautifification and maintenance. They're doing everything else but what they're supposed to be doing. They help out with events. They move furniture and chairs. They move. But that's not their
job. So they don't have time to do their job because they're doing everything else. So can we let this department focus on their job? Yes. That's the point. And I've been asking you that for the longest. I to that's that's the issue
that please. Yes. Note it. Hiding the right person. Vice Mayor. We didn't create this. We We didn't create it like this. I know I didn't. I know exactly what you're
saying. And it's always been broken down into various division. This was put together as this one big I don't want to use that term big beautiful division that would do everything
that would do everything. Okay. And so I I share your concern it ought to be broke down into you're doing just beautifification which would be what we're talking about. You're doing inside maintenance or putting a chair together or painting. I I share the same
challenge. So if you want to break it down, that's fine. But they would lump they would lump together as part of a big and I think that's why you got the maintenance on. That's that's not what I'm talking about. Um vice mayor, sometimes they be working events.
They work events and I I call the manager. I say madam manager, why is beautifification at this event? They should not be working events. That's not their job. Yes. maintenance of our buildings, our our green spaces, our parks. That's their job to keep the city beautiful. But if they're working an
event, then they're not doing their job. That's not their job. That's what I'm on. you we you can bifocate it and put the vision for maintenance and vision for beautifification, but they still need to do what they were hired to do
and that's to make our city maintain the beautifification of our city, not working events. Okay? and and and I I can appreciate that and I said that a while back when I first came uh back and I can tell you
personally that was taken to heart because the public works employees were taken away from the feeding. Okay? They were taken from the feeding for that very purpose. So you know what I did and again it's no knock on the folks cuz I love them all and they're
out there helping and if they get taken away now that's fine. They can't do event. They can't do the feeding on wings. can't do the beating on Fridays when I was doing it. I'm I watched and monitored what was going on in those winners and Fridays and not against a
knock on them, but they were not doing any more or less. Okay, I have a problem of having them do just beautifification or what have you, not events, but somebody's still going to have to shut up the table. Somebody still got to put up the tent, which involves public
works. So if you take them out of events alto together, who's going to do that? Because you don't always have contracted folks. So if you want to bifrocate and and separate the divisions out. So this is just for this and this is just for beautifification. They do nothing else
but maintaining uh uh the trees or the shrubbery or the flowers or cutting that. That's fine. I never like the idea of having with maintenance because that lumped them all together. I see folks that are beautifification, I guess, in that division putting up stuff in the
offices up in the clerk's office. They're painting. They come by to touch up and fix the TV and put up the cords, but they're also part of the same division. So, if we want to bifrocate it out and separate it so the beautifification division can just focus
on that, I have no problem with that. It's still not going to change the fact that it still needs to be done. But there's 15 people 15 people in that particular division. So madame manager um let if you could just bring that back to the commission
how you know break it down. So separate it out. So part of that is just as the mayor said only doing beautifification and those related and how we would capture whoever need to be assisting for um
setting up for events and let's see what that looks like. Um so we can't have them just focus on the beautifification. And again, that's not a knock on any employee, but if they're overwhelmed with the events, you know, um let's make
sure they're doing beautifification because I I'd like to see flowers. I like to see shrubbery. I'd like to see all those things and the elements of it. So, um we're still at the early phases of it of the budget process. So, you see how they look. That's that's suggestion
I would have. Thank you, M. Mr. Mayor. All right. Any other questions to our um beautifification? All right, madame manager, I know we had a a hard stop at a hard stop. I know you you and me right behind I thought we wanted
We was We had a hard stop at 4. We were trying to do 4:30. Um because they need to get back to their work and close out the day. Um we have what what's left? I know we doing public works, CIP,
town center, IT. It's a lot. Yeah. Public works has several divisions, so it's quite a few. So, you want to just continue with public works and then do the phase two with everyone else later on? Public works by itself is probably going to need some time because I have a lot of Okay. All right. What What would you
like to do? Stop here. Stop here and pick up for the next 15 minutes. I'm sorry, U Mr. Anathan. and we'll stop. We'll do the hard stop at 4:30. We can answer your question about the travel. We won't go into the events. We we know that's going that's a Oh, did you have questions on the
travel? Well, it does have some trouble travel. Yeah. Okay. She said no. All right. So, Mr. Anathan, for the next couple of minutes and then we hard stop at 4:30. We can do the the answer your question that you
had about the the travel expenses. Sure. And then we can Mr. Mayor, Vice Mayor, I I I didn't know we the hard stop. I know we want to stop. I I want to cuz they're sitting at the table with that. I mean, outside of ones we haven't gotten to, but the ones we have, I I wanted to hear from them and a twominut
whatever anything they wanted to share if the manager wanted to allow it. um regarding their departments. If not, we could do it at the next session where we'll have more time. So, I just like to have that notated for the future. Madam manager, we can have that. Yes, I know we're we're on a hard time right
now. So, yes, definitely. We could do that. I have that as a part of the of the next session because I always like to hear from folks in addition to whatever we're asking. Okay. my other.
All right. So, Mr. um madam madam managers um price wants to hear from the staff. Yes. Get that at the next time. Got me. All right. Mr. Anathan, so for for 2025 travel,
this is what was done thus far plus what's Yes, sir. this what I can find in the various POS at this point including some uh future travel through September $22,000 and then I know you asked the commission for a wish list of what we wanted to go to exactly
what we might want to go to and this is what we see which equal go to the third page which is the all the requested uh individual trips and then I tried to cost them out on the second page and you can see the number we got to
in very easy terms MS the requests are 31 trips actually 32 because I assume two legislated trips and what we have for FY25 is uh 15 trips so far and again if anybody sees some flaws in
the estimated cost uh please uh let me know and then the bottom line is what does the commission wish to spend in uh commission travel this year I'm sorry next Yeah. Well, I know in my 101 I asked you to do
an even 50,000 which would give every commissioner $10,000 to play with whether or not we use it or not. I remember that's what I asked for in our one ones. I don't know what they what they stood where everyone else stood, but that's what I asked you for.
If I may remind you, the state has asked that we be somewhat specific in terms of the trips involved. Remember the exercise from last year? They really wanted to see some quantification of where the trips would be. Okay. Now, that's another issue that I
have, Mr. We're not going to go with it. You want this. We can do other for everyone else, but the commission has to be specific. We don't know. We can't tell you. So, it's it's And it's not you. I'm sorry. It's not you, but we we don't know. We don't know. We
And and the and based on page two, the estimate is 47,100. So, why not round it to a even 50,000? It's whatever number the commission wills. I mean, that's just the math. And if that's what the commission wishes, you've got it.
Okay. So, based on the wish list that you all ask the commission to submit, it came up to 47100. So, I guess that's your answer. Yes, sir. If that's the amount the commission wish to spend, uh, that's the answer.
So, either 50 or 48, that's up to you, madam manager. just bring it back. But there's no difference. It's the same number. I But I'm just saying we can save $2,000. That's what you want. But I don't the need to single the commission out. I never understood why you all do that.
Yeah. Um do we have any objections, Mr. Mayor? Um Vice Mayor, so the mayor saying round off the 50 you got at 47 based on what we kind of said to you. Yes, sir. based on my
they wanted to be specific. They were trying to be more specific in terms of our trips that we were taking. If we use the the question really was what is the total amount the commission wishes to expend and I I just got my answer and yes we can use all these
trips as the detail underlying that request. Repeat that last statement. I that my last statement was related to the state's request I guess to put it appropriately that we itemize what trips
the commission was thinking about. We can use this particular document and satisfy that that request. So is but is the state going to hold us to this hard number and or trip? Uh they have not this year. I would
expect not. It's just something to see. It's a reasonable set of requirements. Okay. So, something were to come up that one of us wanted to go to that's not listed here because maybe something came up out of the box and and we think it's
beneficial. we would have to what come before the commission to get approval or I believe that's the way if I remember right uh from last year I think the state wanted to get agreement uh amongst the commission that if they're going to exceed their budget that there'd be
consensus among them to do it and it would take a budget amendment by the way unless you took our you're saying it's still based on that even though it's lumped together in one line item that was the way it was budget has been put together uh since I've been here.
Yes, sir. Last time I saw it broken out, I think was about four years ago. So, if we get to the $50,000 by August and there's other trip, we would need to bring it before the commission two weeks. That is my recollection of what the
state was looking for and it would require if in fact the budget is 50 and this takes you over at some point we'd have to do a budget amendment and then but you never answer vice mayor's question. So, if my said I'm I want to go to the the the the National League of Cities, but that's not
budgeted for, will I be able to go if we still have money within that line item? Does that Yes, sir. I believe I did answer. I said I the state is not holding us directly accountable this year for that. There is travel being done this year which was not identified in the budget.
Okay. But but but using the M the mayor's example and I know the League of Cities we normally budget but let's say another conference or something one of my colleagues wants to go to because they hear about it. It's not budgeted. You're saying they can still go if there's money in the line item.
Yes, sir. But the the line item is actually predicated on stuff we've already told you we're going to go to. But this is exact this we went through the same exercise this year. You identified a series of trips you wanted to take. You then you ended up going to
other trips. It has not been a problem. It it wasn't a problem. You didn't agree with it, but it was in the budget. The reason I'm saying that because some of us may have said we're going to go to a League of City something and we didn't go. Something came up. Yes, sir.
So, that money was sitting there so you were able to use it. Yes, sir. Agreed. Okay. But I'm asking the question in advance because if we do go on the trips or whatever and there's no extra there, you're going to have to come or the manage somebody commission and say we
got to do a budget amendment because we didn't have enough. But is that going to happen before the trip or how you going to fund it to do it without having a challenge from the state? I guess well as you all know the budget amendment process is not a speedy
process but we get permission from the state to go ahead and do it with a provision that'll be submitted as a budget amendment. Vice Mayor does that answer your question? Not hardly but um well I think you have some cushion. I I'll give you example because you know I
was going to the League of Cities I'm not going. So obviously that few dollars whatever it was is sitting there. So one of my colleagues came with somewhere they wanted to go. You have something in the line item because my expenditure is not going to take place cuz I'm going I'm more concerned next
year for example a new budget cuz that's we're doing that all of us do go exactly where we're saying going and it's going to be exactly the cost that we say but something comes up. I just want to know what how that process going to work because there are timelines with the
registration and or whatever to even go through that. I understand the budget amendment and capturing on the back end. Yeah. Um you've had the caveat before because it's been money there because some of us were supposed to go didn't go and so you had a little cushion. Um and and that's
that's why I'm asking the question. So um it's 47. You're going to make it 50. I think I that's the number I heard. Yes, sir. Okay. Um All right. All right. That may be I guess something we'd have to revisit if you we get close to it. All
right. Thank you. Thank you. All right. We got five minutes and then we're going to um um adjourn. Um you had the um second workshop for July 15th and that was that's strictly a number in my head that's not been agreed to by anybody. Sir,
I was just about to say that. So, okay. So, um madam manager, I guess you with along with the city clerk will pull the commission to see um and you're trying We have to finish this. And then you wanted to do the event workshop.