City Commission Workshop Meeting

I APPROVED 9/8/2022 MINUTES City Commission Workshop 5:30 PM - Tuesday, June 28, 2022 - City Hall CALL TO ORDER: 5:32 P.M. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF QUORUM AND PROPER NOTICE PRESENT: Commissioner Nan Cobb, Commissioner Willie Hawkins, Vice Mayor Emily Lee, Commissioner Karen LeHeup-Smith and Mayor Michael Holland 1. WORKSHOP ITEM WITH COMMISSION DISCUSSION AND DIRECTION 1.1 Finance Mike Sheppard, Finance Director, explained Finance is made up of three programs: Financial Services, Information Technology and Purchasing. He provided a line item breakdown for Financial Services. He commented on the need for cyber insurance due to new legislation and issues with ransomware. He explained the increase in the Other Contractual Services was for the new Gravity software. He indicated this was the first year for using the Gravity software to assist with budgeting and they will be adding auditing. He explained that most of the software anymore you pay for annual support rather than purchasing the software. The Commission asked about budgeting for Repairs and Maintenance for City Hall and cited various issues with City Hall and the Finance Annex. Mr. Sheppard stated that the new awnings would be purchased from the Sales Tax Fund; however, the maintenance would have to come from the General Fund. He explained that what is currently budgeted is strictly for routine maintenance. He stated staff could compile some costs to be presented later to the Commission. The Commission asked how long after the end of the fiscal year would they know exactly how much was expended for the year with Tom Carrino, City Manager, responding that preliminary numbers are determined within about a month; however, final numbers aren't available until the audit is completed . The Commission asked how the City did the previous year with Mr. Sheppard indicating he was not sure the exact amount; however, there was an increase in Fund Balance. Mr. Carrino explained that any unspent funds go into the Fund Balance. The Commission asked, if there are funds left over, why can't they do some of the other unfunded projects with Mr. Sheppard indicating that Fund Balance can be used to balance the budget. He then reported that the previous year's revenue Eustis City Commission Workshop Page 1 of 7 June 28, 2022  over expense was $2,250,000; however, a lot of that was due to the federal Cares Grant monies. He then explained that the City maintains a 90-day reserve. Mr. Carrino stated it is not best practice to assume there would be a surplus and work it into the budget; however, what they can do they can plan to spend monies from reserves which could be replaced by any surplus with Mr. Sheppard stating that would best be done for a one-time only event not a continuing expense. Rick Gierok, Public Works Director, noted that City Hall was repainted in 2017 and then it was pressure washed in 2020. He said that additional painting and cleaning could be moved up. Mr. Carrino stated that the CIP has been approved only on first reading. He suggested that could be reviewed during the workshop for additional consideration. Mr. Sheppard further explained the benefits of the Gravity software and confirmed that would be a recurring expense under Repairs and Maintenance. The Commission questioned the Communication Services line item with Mr. Sheppard explaining the City is on a municipal plan. He noted that some staff members use their personal cell phones and are reimbursed for that use. Mr. Carrino explained that staff members that are required to carry cell phones are given the option of using their personal phones and being reimbursed. Commissioner Hawkins noted he has two phone numbers, one of which is a Google number and for which he is not charged . Mr. Sheppard indicated that he would have staff look into it. He explained that the City uses both Comcast and Centurylink in order to have a failsafe. He confirmed that staff would research the issue to see if they could save the City some funds. 1.2 Parks and Recreation Craig Dolan , Parks and Recreation Director, explained there are four divisions under Parks & Recreation - Administration, Rentals, Programs and Aquatics. Mr. Carrino commented on the budgeted master plan expense of $80,000. He explained the City would hire a consultant who would review the City's facilities, assess those facilities, review the City's rental rates, compare with the neighboring communities and provide guidance on rates , status of the facilities, and usage. He stated it would help the City develop a vision for the City's facilities and guide future investments. Craig Dolan explained the master plan would give the City a 10-year road map for where recreation should go within the community. He further explained what all would be included in the cost. The Commission discussed the large expense and whether or not it would be feasible to predict out for ten years. Eustis City Commission Workshop Page 2 of 7 June 28, 2022  Mr. Dolan explained the benefit of bringing in an outside company to prepare the master plan and stated it would be put out to bid. He further explained it would be a year-long process. He provided a breakdown of what would be included in the process. He stated he had used an outside company at another location and it was well worth the cost. He noted that several years previous the City of Mount Dora spent $80,000 on their master plan. The Commission asked what the plan would give the City in addition to the input the City is already receiving from the community with Mr. Dolan responding the plan will look at how much park land the City already has and how much it needs and where. It will review the City's existing facilities to see if they need to be updated or placed elsewhere. Mr. Carrino stated a master plan would provide an expert opinion on how to spend the City's scarce resources moving forward. He noted that the Water & Sewer Fund is required to periodically update its master plan. He recommended at least putting out an RFQ to see what's out there and what the actual cost would be. He emphasized that the City does not have unlimited resources and it is important to determine the most efficient use of its resources. Further discussion was held regarding funding for the master plan and the need to obtain additional information regarding the process with the Commission requesting a presentation. Mr. Dolan responded that he could provide to the Commission copies of recent plans prepared for other cities and Mr. Carrino indicated they could prepare a presentation for the retreat with Mr. Sheppard commenting on how improvements could be funded perhaps through a bond. Discussion was held regarding the need to improve the City's Parks & Recreation program. Commissioner Cobb then asked about other salary and wages noting that custodians are under regular salary and also under "other" and "additional part- time custodians" and "custodian back-up". Mr. Dolan explained they were down a custodial position during the year. He stated the facilities are open seven days a week and commented on the difficulty in hiring. The Commission suggested combining all the part-time positions into one full-time position with Mr. Dolan indicating he doesn't need a fourth full-time person. He explained he mostly needs a part-time person to open and close facilities on the weekends for approximately 20 hours per week. Vice Mayor Lee asked what is included under "capital outlay" with Mr. Carrino explaining those are one-time projects. He stated the City has two categories - less than $25,000 projects and more than $25,000 projects. Those are the less than $25,000 projects. He explained that the line item varies from year-to-year. For the next year, they are considering a keyless entry system, two facility sheds and breezeway fences . Eustis City Commission Workshop Page 3 of 7 June 28, 2022  The Commission asked what is planned for the breezeway fences with Mr. Dolan explaining it would look like wrought-iron but would be aluminum so a breeze could go through it but it would be secure. He then explained they are also installing a white vinyl fence with lattice at the Women's Club. The Commission then asked about the sheds with Mr. Dolan explaining the cost includes the shed, concrete pad and installation. He noted he is hoping the prices will be less than budgeted with the Commission encouraging him to look at local vendors. The Commission then asked about a plan for replacing the concrete picnic tables in the parks and suggested he inspect the tables at Bennett Park. The Commission then asked about "other contractual" and the program instructors. They questioned if people pay to attend the programs with Mr. Dolan explaining that the City receives 30% more than what it is paying for the instructors. It was noted that the budget does not show the revenue obtained from the programs only the expenditures. The Commission confirmed the master plan study would show which buildings or programs are not needed as well as what is needed. Mr. Sheppard noted that the General fund revenues is shown in the front of the draft budget book. 1.3 Police Department Craig Capri, Police Chief, presented the Police Department budget. He noted the increases in fuel and equipment. The Commission asked what is "Wex gas" with Mr. Sheppard explaining that is the company the City is contracted with for fuel. He noted the City does not pay the pump price but pays the price without taxes. Chief Capri explained he mandated that no one is to leave their cars running, unless they are a K-9 vehicle, in order to conserve the resources. He stated the department's morale is very high and the staff understands the City's money issues. He stated the department is not asking for anything they can't justify and, in fact, are reducing some items. Commissioners asked about the salary expenses with Chief Capri noting that the salary for Captain Fahning is correct. He noted that Captain Winheim will be retiring in August but that position will then be filled. Mr. Sheppard explained that the draft budget has been adjusted as needed for new personnel as they come in. The Commission expressed concern about some of the line items with Mr. Carrino indicating that it can be difficult to remove some line items from Edmunds so those are hold over items from the previous year. Mr. Sheppard and Chief Capri explained the School Resource Officer comes under the Police Department and the City will be reimbursed by the School Board including the cost for benefits. Eustis City Commission Workshop Page 4 of 7 June 28, 2022  Chief Capri commented on the need to choose officers carefully and insure they are well-trained. He confirmed the SRO's are new officers and will require hiring new personnel. He noted that all of the local agencies are short on people. The Commission then asked about the vacancy for a communications officer with Chief Capri indicating they are working on filling that position. He commented on the need to evaluate the situation and noted how good the City's equipment is. He stated he constantly is looking to re-evaluate to work efficiently. He then commented on the professionalism of the department and stated they are looking at outsourcing some ancillary duties and looking for other ways to reduce costs. The Commission asked about the Motorola Solutions Communications flex to flex data conversion and other maintenance expenses with Chief Capri stated those numbers will change as he is working with the County regarding transferring over Spillman. Initially, they will have to pay a little more upfront; however, the next year will be lower and then the year after it will be free as it will be covered by a federal grant. Mr. Carrino reported there is some duplication that needs to be cleared up and staff will be providing updated costs on the migration. The Commission questioned the cost to the City for electricity with Commissioner Hawkins expressing support for initiating solar wherever possible to reduce costs. Mr. Sheppard explained that homeowners get a federal tax credit which makes it more affordable; however, the City would not get that. Further discussion was held regarding the possible use of solar power, the high upfront cost for solar and whether or not grant funds might be available for that. Chief Capri noted that the Police Department will be looking for a part-time grant writer and cited one grant for additional equipment for the patrol cars. He also commented on the approved grant with Lifestream for mental health services. He noted they are having issues with vacant positions. He added that all of the City's officers are also sent for specialized training regarding mental health issues. The Commission complimented Chief Capri on thinking outside the box and the professionalism of the department. Chief Capri thanked the Commission for their support for the department and cited the high morale of the department personnel. Discussion was held regarding the vacant positions and departmental activities regarding criminal arrests and ticketing. Recess: 6:50 p.m. Reconvene: 7:00 p.m. 1.4 Fire Department Due to technical issues, there is no recording for the remainder of the workshop. Eustis City Commission Workshop Page 5 of 7 June 28, 2022  Mike Swanson, Fire Chief, presented the Fire Department budget citing the three divisions - Administration, Prevention and Suppression. He reported there are approximately 1100 businesses in the City with over 975 inspections conducted in the previous year. He noted they are still partnering with other towns for physicals to reduce costs. He cited costs for attending the FDIC Fire Department Instructor's Conference. The Commission asked what is included under Contractual Services with Chief Swanson citing the following items: network, CAD system and firewall, portable maintenance, and heart monitor calibration. He also explained the cell phone usage with air cards retained in each truck for communication with the hospital. He indicated they must use specific vendors. He noted that the EMT and paramedic licenses need to be renewed regularly and cited costs for uniforms and sprinkler and alarm maintenance. Under Books and Subscriptions, he explained they have moved to a subscription process so they have access to active codes and digital books kept on the internet. He indicated that all officers are required to be certified inspectors and they are starting to activate personnel to work on inspections. Chief Swanson then reported the Prevention budget remains relatively unchanged other than increases for fuel. He reviewed the Suppression budget noting that the titles in the draft budget are incorrect; however, the salaries are correct. He stated they are still not up to full staffing and noted there are still employees out with Covid. The Commission asked about the hiring for the new positions with Chief Swanson responding they have hired five out of the six new positions. Chief Swanson indicated most of the rest of the budget is unchanged. He reviewed some of the Other Contractual Services including TS Target Solutions, ER Reporting and ESO for patient care reporting. He stated the department is doing well noting there are some challenges with morale within the department. He noted the fire union had reached an impasse during bargaining for the new contract. He praised the department stating they are a tight team and noting that many staff members are fire inspectors. Mr. Carrino noted the capital line item for the new tower truck and bunker gear which is included in the CIP. He indicated that bunker gear expires every five years and everyone has two sets of gear. He stated they are expecting a 20% increase in the cost for the gear due to supply chain issues. He explained the plan is to construct a gear room to keep the gear out of the exhaust and sunlight. He stated there is $200,000 invested in gear and they need to take care of it in order to keep staff safe. He then commented on the fireboat estimate for the previous year. He stated $75,000 is needed to replace one of the Life Packs which are needed for special events. He indicated the plan is to buy the Life Pack with an extended warranty and service pack. Commissioner Hawkins commented on the exterior sign and paint work that was completed two years previous. Chief Swanson stated he would work with Chief Capri regarding planning for future upgrades. He noted that there were upgrades needed to both the police and fire stations as the City expands with additional growth which may warrant a combined Eustis City Commission Workshop Page 6 of 7 June 28, 2022  public safety complex. If growth occurs as projected, then the departments will outgrow current facilities. He noted that a building would need to last for 50 years to address tutu re growth. Commissioner Cobb asked about the process for used municipal vehicles. Mr. Sheppard explained that the Finance Department works with Public Works to auction items through Gideon Auctioneers to sell excess vehicles that are worth selling. He noted that this is not done on a yearly basis, but they try to save money by reusing vehicle parts. He then explained that the Fire Station Gear Room was moved to the Fire Impact Fund and $70,000 was reserved for a carport. Mr. Dolan cited the intent to purchase two vans for administration, staff and custodians as the older vehicles are aging and need replacement over the next five years. 1.5 CRA Meeting Mr. Carrino confirmed the CRA meeting would be held July 21, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. instead of discussing the CRA budget at a separate workshop. He reminded the Commissioners to submit their financial disclosure forms. 2. ADJOURNMENT: 7:41 P.M. *These minutes reflect the actions taken and portions of the discussion during the meeting. To review the entire discussion concerning any agenda item, go to www.eustis.org and click on the video for the meeting in question. A DVD of the entire meeting or CD of the entire audio recording of the meeting can be obtained from the office of the City Clerk for a fee. CHRISTINE HALLORAN MICHAEL L. HOLLAND City Clerk Mayor/Commissioner Eustis City Commission Workshop Page 7 of 7 June 28, 2022