2005 0908 Regular City Commission Meeting - Budget

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Summary Minutes: Special City Commission Meeting September 8, 2005 First Budget Hearing Sunny Isles Beach, Florida calculation and determine that yes there is this other money coming in and if it isn't coming in then we start planning for it so that we don't get hit with a catastrophe. City Manager Russo said in the Cultural and Human Services budget we have hired three additional lifeguards full time plus the intermittent to fully staff the four operating towers. Vice Mayor Thaler asked about opening the fifth and City Manager said we are not planning on opening the fifth but that we are budgeting for it this next fiscal year. He said what he would suggest is if Turnberry gets occupied and we start getting a presence on the beach at the very south end that we feel we can't handle, right now the northern Haulover booth is open on holidays and weekends, then we would staffthat at some point during the year. Vice Mayor Thaler asked why not have it in there and if we don't use, we don't use it. City Manager Russo asked Cultural and Human Services Director Susan Simpson to figure out what we need to staff that with our lead lifeguards, and we will take a look at that between now and second reading. He noted that we have ten lifeguards all together including the lead lifeguards, and that we are following the highest standards in lifeguard training. He said next year we will be looking into getting a manual both for the department operational lifeguards service and our parks, and have proposed bringing in some professional services to accomplish that, and we are using Boca Raton as our model. City Manager Russo stated that we have not had a drowning, a fatality or anything since we have increased the lifeguard service over the past two years. City Manager Russo went to the Capital Fund and pointed out a few highlights. He said fundamentally even with the reduction of the tax rate we have been able to maintain all of our projects and add some more in. He said we have got a series of various funds in the City and we are fortunate to have them, they have got restrictions but they total over $30 Million which changes constantly with TDR money coming in, and the bottom line is if we were to accomplish everything we wouldn't spend all the money that we have right now. Vice Mayor Thaler asked if we had any money allocated for the bus shelters and City Manager Russo said yes and it will be coming before the Commission soon to determine the style and type of shelters, which is the next part of the streetscape program. He said that in the last few weeks we finished the mapping which will be coming before the Commission as probably a workshop showing all the current bus shelter locations and to discuss where to add them. He said in many of these locations we will need an easement from the property owner so we can set them back so we can have an accessible bus shelter and sidewalk. Mayor Edelcup asked that in the final budget book to put in the pages for each ofthe Capital Funds that we have accumulated, all of them total somewhere close to $30 Million, and show: 1) the beginning balance, 2) the estimated amount of interest income we expect to receive in each of those funds for the year, and 3) the amount of dollars we expect to come out this year. He said in other words, maybe taking this approved schedule that is already on page 59, but break it down by the separate category by funds, and each item on that list is a separate story in and of itself with the beginning balance that has money coming in, projected to come in, it has money projected to go out and it has a projected, therefore, ending balance a year from now, and if we can see that within the next two weeks, it would be very helpful to the Commissioners. City Manager Russo also presented highlights on the Stormwater 4