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07-24-1991 Workshop Meeting• CITYOF CLERMONT 1VIINUTES WORKSHOP MEETING JULY 24, 1991 A Workshop Meeting of the City Council of the City of Clermont was held Wednesday, July 24, 1991 in the City Hall Conference Room. The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by Mayor Pool with the following Council Members in attendance: Mayor Pro Tem Turville, Council Member Dupee, Council Member Cole and Council Member Norquist. Other City Officials present were City Manager Saunders and Planning Director Harker. Joan Woods of the "Leesburg Daily Commercial" was also present. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN - DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS MEETING City Manager Saunders explained that Mr. Harker and he had a productive meeting with the Department of Community Affairs regarding the comments on the Comprehensive Plan they had forwarded to the City. Mr. Saunders further stated that Mr. Harker and he felt that they had resolved all issues with the DCA and that the City Staff was now in the process of making the necessary language changes. Continuing, it was explained that the one remaining area that needed to addressed was the conservation area around the southern tip of Jack's Lake. The original submittal to the DCA included all floodplain areas as conservation areas, but there had been some discussion of deleting the area around the southern tip of Jack's Lake from the conservation map. After considerable discussion, it was the consensus of Council to keep the conservation area maps as originally submitted to the DCA, which would include all floodplain areas as conservation areas throughout the City. PROPOSED FY 1992 BUDGET Finance Director Van Zile entered the meeting at 6:45 p.m. and Planning Director Harker left at this time. POLICE DEPARTMENT SALARY ADJUSTMENTS The meeting proceeded with a discussion of the proposed budget. Options regarding Police Department salary adjustments, which had been discussed at the previous budget workshop, were presented to the Council. Each Council Member was given a recap sheet showing two options; option one which would give an across-the-board $1,000 increase and would bring the starting salary to $17,336 and option two, which included a $750 across-the-board increase, plus an additional adjustment for those officers below the $18,000 annual salary figure,-with the new starting salary being $18,000. After considerable discussion, it was the consensus of the Council that the $1,000 adjustment would be the most equitable and the starting salary would be $17,336. City Manager Saunders then explained that the other Police Department positions would be adjusted accordingly. SOUTH LAKE COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS Howard Stockton, Bonnie Homan Ray, and Marilyn George entered the meeting at 7:00 p.m. Mr. Stockton presented an overview of last • CITYOF CLERMONT MINUTES WORKSHOP MEETING JULY 24, 1991 PAGE -2- year's South Lake Council for the Arts program and reviewed with the Council their proposed performance series for the 1992 season. It was explained that the Arts Council still had approximately $2,000 left in reserves. A question was asked by Mrs. George concerning if the original $2,000 budgeted by the City Council in the first year would be available to the Council for the Arts. It was the consensus of the Council that this would not be a budgeted line item, but Mayor Pool explained to those present that if the Arts Council should have a problem sometime during the year, they could certainly come and talk to the City Council regarding funding. The City Council expressed their appreciation to and support of the Arts Council. Mr. Stockton and Mrs. George left the meeting at approximately 7:30 p.m. COOPER MEMORIAL LIBRARY At this time representatives from Cooper Memorial Library Board of Directors, including Don Wickham, Honey Jean Smoak, and Hamilton Ward entered the meeting. Librarian Bonnie Ray was already present. Honey Jean Smoak presented a synopsis of the library's proposed budget to the City Council. She indicated that they were expecting revenues from the County to decline, and they asked the City Council to make up the difference, along with approximately $6,000 which was for additional salary, operation and maintenance expenses for a total increase in the City's contribution of $9,800. After considerable discussion of the request, Mayor Pool thanked the Library Board members for attending. He then stated that the City Council would be continuing with budget deliberations and would let the Library Board know what funding level could be expected for the next year. In conclusion he stated that they could count on at least the same amount of funding as received last year. Except for Don Wickham, the representatives from the library left the meeting at approximately 8:00 p.m. SUN BANR EXPANSION PROJECT Mr. Wickham then asked to address the Council concerning a proposed addition to Sun Bank. Mr. Wickham explained that his bank was planning an approximately 2,000 square foot expansion for next year, which would include a new exit road from the drive in tellers that would put all traffic leaving the bank onto Disston Avenue. He then requested that the Council consider opening Disston Avenue between Almond Street and Highway 50. Much discussion ensued concerning the change in traffic patterns with this proposed development. It was the consensus of Council that this would be a definite improvement. Other discussion followed concerning the funding for the street opening. Mr. Wickham explained that he felt like the bank could participate to a certain extent in the cost of the street opening. He also • CITYOF CLERMONT 1VIINUTES WORKSHOP MEETING JULY 24, 1991 PAGE -3- requested that the Department of Transportation be contacted with regard to a traffic light for this intersection. Mr. Wickham thanked the Council and left the meeting at approximately 8:30 p.m. The Council then continued discussing the proposed budget. Finance Director Van Zile handed out budget summaries and revenue options to the Council Members. It was explained that the City was proposing to transfer an amount equal to 10~ of the projected water revenues from the Water Fund to the General Fund on an annual basis. It was then explained that after the transfer and including the proposed salary adjustments for the Police Department and the proposed storage building for the Palatlakaha Recreation Area, the City still had an approximate $40,000 deficit in the General Fund. The discussion then turned to the funding of the library, and it was the consensus of the Council to increase the contribution to the library by $2,500. Options for eliminating the deficit were then discussed. City Manager Saunders explained that Mr. Van Zile had recalculated the administrative assessments that are being charged to the various funds and indicated that an additional $10,000 could be transferred from both the water and sewer funds and could be used and justified for administrative services, which would now bring the deficit to approximately $18,000. It was then explained that this included the proposed increase to the Volunteer Fire pay from $7 to $il per call and an increase in the Assistant Chief's salary from $35 per month to $50 per month, as well as salaries for the required Fire Inspections as previously approved by the Council. IITILITY FIIND Discussion then turned to the Utility Fund (water and sewer) and City Manager Saunders explained that with the additional assessments being transferred from the water and sewer funds, the water fund would need an adjustment of 25 cents on the base bill and 5 cents on the cost per 1,000 gallons, which would bring the minimum bill for the first 3, 000 gallons to $4.00 and cost for each additional 1,000 gallons to 90 cents. It was believed that this rate could be held for two years. On the sewer rate, an 80 cents per month increase was projected to bring the charge from $13.50 to $14.30 on the base rate and a similar percentage increase on the cost per 1,000 gallons, which would balance the fund. After some discussion, it was the consensus of Council to raise the sewer rate $1.00, bringing the charge from $13.50 per month to $14.50 per month with a similar percentage increase on the cost per 1,000 gallons. n LJ n U CITYOF CLERMONT MINUTES WORKSHOP MEETING JULY 24, 1991 PAGE -4- DEPARTMENT HEAD SALARIEB Each Council Member was given a copy of the proposed salaries for all Department Heads. After discussion of the proposed salaries, it was the consensus of the Council to include them in the budget. CHRISTMAS LIGHTING City Manager Saunders explained that for the past two years monies have been budgeted for additional Christmas lighting, but there were no dollars in this year's proposed budget for the lighting. It was then explained that there was a transfer of $4,400 that could be made, which was money budgeted for new equipment for the new Public Works Facility. It was further explained that these items were eligible for funding from the Building Fund and the items could be transferred to that fund and the money appropriated for the additional lighting. It was the consensus of Council to make this change. OTHER REQIIESTS City Manager Saunders then discussed with Council various requests that were received, including those from the Lake Community Action Agency, the Rape Crisis Center, the Association for Retarded Citizens and Childhood Development Services. It was explained that the only funding the Council has included in recent years has been to the Lake Community Action Agency specifically for the Headstart Program in Clermont. Last year's contribution was $500. After some discussion, it was the consensus of Council not to include any contributions in the budget. There being no further discussion, the meeting adjourned at 10:00 p.m. Attest: s E. Van e, ity Clerk Rob rt A. ool, Mayor