2004 0909 Special City Commission Meeting

Home Browse Search

Summary Minutes: Special City Commission Meeting September 9, 2004 First Budget Hearing Sunny Isles Beach, Rorida 28%, and it is being used totally to meet the needs of our growing community and upgrading our infrastructure, and that there was no need for any consideration of any kind of tax rate hike in the City. He said that the City of Sunny Isles Beach is 28 out of 34 municipalities, in the lowest 20 percentile in tax burden in the County. City Manager Russo said that one of the most significant changes we have in the budget is in the Planning and Zoning Department where the budget is up approximately half a million dollars to complete the full staffing and reorganization of the Building Department, the process has been ongoing. He noted in the City Clerk's Office budget, that the Contract Coordinator position is still being analyzed, and based on some work through Jeff Maxim, the Management Analyst, that position may be combined. City Manager Russo said under Administrative Services, that a significant point in terms of customer services is $15,000.00 for the start of accepting credit cards, beginning in Cultural & Human Services Department and the Building Department, and then in Code Enforcement. He said also in this budget is the increases of the estimated operation of the new City Hall, which will be on line for most of the next fiscal year. He noted that the Information Technology Department was separated out of Administrative Services, and are reflecting it independently as its own department this year for the first time. He said that there are video cameras for City Hall although it is reflected in the budget for 2005, it may be kicked over to 2004. He said that indications are that the health insurance may be increased at around 12% which will come up in February. He noted that both new buses are here for the Cultural & Human Services Department, but are being installed with a security system and a GIS tracking system. City Manager Russo said that the Police Department budget is the biggest budget, and noted under personnel services line, that the retirement contribution is fixed at 18.53% contribution to the FRS. He said under the Capital Outlay, this is the most significant year in the replacement schedule of our vehicles, we have the Police Personal Vehicle Program, where the officers are personally assigned and responsible for their Police vehicles, and we are planning on getting six years out of these vehicles as opposed to the typical three years. He noted that there are some upgrades, two jet skis, two A TV s, a tandem trailer, one motor, and other equipment, and increasing the Force up to 28 patrol officers in the 2004/05 Budget. City Manager Russo also presented highlights on the Capital Fund, Stormwater Fund, Debt Services, Impact Fees, and the Police Forfeiture Account. He noted that the City is looking into a bike path along North Bay Road, and that we are waiting on the County Bond Issue. Commissioner Thaler asked for an actuary to be hired to go through forecasting our costs into the future, for instance what our retirement and health plans are, to look into the future to see what the multiplications of cost factors are. He said our growth here is terrific at this point but it is not going to hold up forever, and has asked the City Manager to hire an actuary so that he can come back and give us some figures so that we would know, five years out even ten years out, where our money will be spent and whether we can truly afford to do what we are doing. Mayor Edelcup said it was an excellent suggestion and would like to see that report developed early in the fiscal year. 2