##VIDEO ID:AvAXXiIyGks## is $1.3 million that accounts for the additional 246,000 different color you can barely see it oh okay well out you can't really tell what the numbers are almost well this this is your eye exam to see if you can tell the difference between black and blue yeah I see green I see in a public meeting somebody L me their glasses but you maybe if we switch maybe a lighter blue next time yeah I can't you know they're hard um so the 1.3 accounts for the additional 262,000 that was put to City Hall in the revised budget estimate PA let me ask you a quick question I noticed that in fiscal year 23 a short fall for City Hall was $13 million but the total uh project shortfall between 23 and 24 is about $3 million 3.3 is that because of constru cost or so initial so when this plan was put together the initial estimate um that we used for this plan for City Hall you can see in that First Column to the uh left was $15 million um and so that was the original estimate for the city hall project obviously since then we know that things have changed and so you'll see on the next page that City Halls amount um is up to $18.3 million and really that accounts mostly for for the uh the additional money we put in for the windows um and so we accounted for that but the reality is is that and so you'll see that at the end of fiscal year 25 the unfunded would be about 12.9 million and that's really we don't right now City Hall is a moving Target so although we knew we had a we had an estimate we had to come up with a number in 23 it was about $15 million um but as as things have changed we increase each year the the to the project cost yeah as it as we examine the building more we and and we can't get off the shelf windows and I imagine that this 12.9 might change again next year as well right so I think it will yes it will I I I there's a question mark there anymore I I would if I was a ma doesn't work with the question mark or or not available so we assign it a number um and then you'll see here the um the plan for the next two years fiscal year 26 and 27 was to continue committing to this um to this plan and so originally we committed $5 million Our intention was to increase that $5 million incrementally each year and so that's why in fiscal year 26 you see $6.5 million and of course that would be based on Revenue availability in that year right so um the plan would be that if if available we would do 6.5 at a minimum we would commit the 5 million that we talk about each year year and then in fiscal year 27 we would also commit the uh remaining amount for City Hall to fully funded in fiscal year 27 under this plan and then we can continue the plan for other projects okay okay and so this um you've seen this slide before this is the list of capital projects that we are funding this year and the amounts new new funding providing new funding to this year and the amounts by uh by project cat uh by project type and so total Capital Equipment we're funding just under $3.2 million F facility repairs and improvements we're funding just over $3.5 million um historic facility projects we're funding $2.6 million and you may or may not see it by highlighted in green is City Hall and that's because that amount changed from the July 1 budget estimate in motorpool we're funding three just over $3.6 million for the replacement of vehicles and equipment in parking repairs and Improvement we're funding uh just over $2.8 million in Parks and Recreation we're in projects we're funding uh just over $9.6 million and again you'll see highlighted in green the purchase of lands which indicates the additional contribution of impact fees and uh mayor Dorothy Thompson Park Park which we increased the funding uh to 145,000 we were not providing funding this year so this is a new funding for this year will that fully fund that that will F fully fund that yes um and then Public Safety improvements we are funding almost $3.5 million in projects that includes a replacement and Matrix for equipment and um transportation and roadway we are funding just over $6 million in projects utility repairs we're funding just over $10 million in projects and this also includes the additional funding to our sea level rise mitigation program which will receive just uh just over $4.5 million this year and the um but those are restricted funds that are from that are uh built for that purpose for a total Capital Project funding of 4 5,1 191,0 15 including the motor pool projects so this budget is based on the uh maintaining the 5.55 N millage rate and so this will be the um the same millage rate that we have maintained since 2016 so the 10th consecutive year this slide uh breaks out your tax dollars so this is always an interesting slide to see that our 5.55 n millage rate uh represents 30 cents per tax dollar that our residents pay Dade County um receives 32 cents per tax dollar from our residents tax bill the school board receives 36 cents per tax dollar uh Bill to our residents and the regional is just about 2 cents per tax dollar so it's always interesting to see that the majority of services Come From the City of Coral Gables but um our residents actually pay more to other areas um than than the city taxes and that is all I have for my presentation today the first order that we will take is to adopt the millage so I'll read it into the um record and you feel be bear with me there's some additional required language I need to read um so the first one is an ordinance providing for the levy of taxes for the fiscal year beginning October 1 2024 and ending September 30th 2025 fixing the rate of such Levy providing for the segregation and the application of the proceeds of such Levy providing for the separability of the provisions hereof and providing that this ordinance shall become effective October 1st 20124 be it ordained by the commission of the City of Coral Gables that in comp section one that in compliance with the Constitution and laws of the State of Florida as now written taxation is hereby levied upon all real and personal property within the present corporate limits of the City of Coral Gables for tax year 2024 a tax of 5559 Ms which is an 8.4% increase over the roll back rate of 5.1 281 all proceeds is the collection of this Levy to be recorded into the general fund of the city and shall be reserved therein and dispersed transferred there from for the sole and express purpose of paying the necessary operating and capital expenditures of the City of Coral Gables its departments offices and properties for the fiscal year ending September 30th 2025 this ordinance does require um a forfeits vote for approval I'll move I'll second is the mayor here did he leave he he's he stepped off he didn't give me a chance to say we can proceed we can proceed okay he's probably out the clock right okay okay we have a motion in second so we all have to vote together practically no we know that okay yes sir we have a motion a second commissioner Castro yes commissioner Fernandez yes commissioner Mendez yes vice mayor Anderson yesk okay and then the second item and please if you'll bear with me because this one will be a little lengthier is an ordinance adopting the annual budget of estimated revenues and expenditures for the fiscal year beginning October 1st 2024 and ending September 30th 2025 providing for the separability of the provisions hereof and providing that this ordinance shall become effective October 1st 2024 whereas the city manager prepared and on July 1st 2024 submitted to the commission a budget estimate of the revenues and expenditures of a city departments divisions office and properties for the fiscal year commencing October 1st 2024 and copies of such estimate have been made available for public viewing at the coral GES library and the office of the city clerk and whereas the budget estimate submitted to the commission on July 1st 2024 in the amount of $283,400 289 has been revised by the city manager to include revenue and expenditure increases in the amount of 1,266 657 bringing the total budget amount to $284 mil7 $7 46,9 46 and that the following summary of estimated revenues and expenditures for the fiscal year commencing October 1st 2024 and ending September 30th 2025 is hereby agreed upon and adopted along with the supporting data Rel relating there to on file with the finance department of the City of Coral Gables as the official 2024 2025 budget of the City of Coral Gables total operating revenues 265 88947 total transfers from reserves 8,852 n29 total revenues $284,700 estimated expenditures for all operating departments capital and Debt Service um total operating expense is 226,000 $ 63,360 total expenditures 284 m746 n46 and that is it so um if I may Madame vice mayor um I have no prom voting on this on first reading today but I would like to see some changes going into second reading um I personally would have concerns with removing the solid waste positions uh as well as the code enforcement position and I would like to see what the uh part-time parking position uh can bring in as far as Revenue uh because it might offset its own costs um I'm okay with cutting POS positions as I had said before um but those are positions that I think they're services that residents have really been looking um to enhance uh we get codee enforcement complaints all the time I mean um some here on the days have to be doing code enforcement um and submitting code enforcement complaints because of the issues that we have in the community uh and as far as parking I know we are adding a position but I want to see how we can uh alleviate some of the concerns that residents have uh in some of the outling areas because most of our concentration right now of our parking team is in the the central business district which is where most of the violations are uh but I've had complaints from residents near schools or other areas where we perhaps haven't been able to alleviate that concern um so that's what I would like to see between first and second reading um and finding ways to still focus on on City Hall and adding the funding to City Hall but maybe there's other places that we can uh move the money from so I'm um you know I have no problem U having this discussion between uh first and second and I I have discussed and and spent extensive time with directors as well as other individuals and the manager and our our staff um because we are adding a lot of positions this year more so than we've ever added before to this budget and I do think that there's there are some efficiencies that we can provide to make the job easier for our Solid Waste workers if we add some additional tools in the toolbox which you know I've shared some ideas with the manager but you know the ultimate decision has to be made by the solid waste director by the employees themselves to consider those things that would take a lot of stress and strain I think off of the um you know the the difficulty of of the job especially in the heat uh and fewer injuries and uh less heat stroke Etc so this is you know I want to be cautious about what we're doing because the last thing I want to do is to have a situation where you know we're reducing positions because we don't need them I want to take a step at a time and yes we're increasing positions and yes we're increasing Solid Waste workers and uh based upon the discussions that I had the positions that are needed the most are being absolutely filled and the ones that are you know less certain um let's take a let's take a test drive between first and second and get the feedback from um staff and from the director as to how we can be more efficient and make our the the job easier for our employees and if I can request the the manager maybe we can uh individually meet with our Solid Waste uh director um so that we can discuss these these Cuts uh as well as with the parking director um and um code enforcement so that we can each kind of get a grasp on on these positions um yeah I me change might change our minds uh so you know I think that it would be good to have those conversations with the folks on the ground uh who could really tell us what the impact of those positions might be I'll have a I'll have a renewed you know discussion I did I did have a discussion before I even suggested the modifications I feel I I'm sorry I feel that there's a disconnect and maybe I'm understanding things differently and you're understanding or maybe they're telling us different things is there any way possible that maybe both of us can have a meeting a join meeting with the assistant director of solid Wass we we could have a sunshine meeting it could be noticed for Sunshine purposes so like that I don't no I have no problem doing a sunshine meeting you know because perhaps that's where the communication I think that might be a good idea so I don't know if the I don't know if the assistant Public Works director will be available in the next couple of weeks to meet so um but I can speak to a little bit of not only not only with the assistant um director her and maybe some other workers or supervisors I think that I've been talking to in that department which have been very very insightful for me to understand how how they they work how they process if I may absolutely we can set up individual meetings uh with the Commissioners and and the staff you you want there also keep in mind I think there's another we always have the other option of coming back to commission after this budget is passed and request an additional headcount or increase in a headcount for one specific position or another so it doesn't have to be the whole year that we're without we can come back uh in 3 months 6 months and say look we've done this is what we have and it's really not working we have some ideas as the vice mayor mentioned to try to alleviate a lot of the the work for our Workforce but we have the option of coming back and saying it didn't work we need to increase a headcount by one or two I I I appreciate that and you know because we like to make Intelligent Decisions commissioner man Anders I just um in total agreement with my colleagues uh but for me I want to make sure that the first decision is the right decision and I think what's being proposed is the right way to do it a lot of times um let's put it this way initially those positions were proposed at some point that was it was identified as a need and I don't think anything's really happened in the world to change the fact that at some point a need was realized or recognized so I want to do what's right the first time and yes and I agree we can make adjustments as the year goes by but this is an opportunity I think the commission and the administration have done a great job working together going through the budget and focusing on the millage rate and the way it can be used for the good of the community so this is a great opportunity to really work together and find answers and find Solutions but I we are a growing city and I don't mean from a development stando point we're an active City more than ever and there's need for sanitation there's need for code enforcement because we're not shrinking as a city we are growing in terms of activity so I want to make sure we have enough people so that we could provide the best Services is it possible this is for the City attorney is it possible or is there a will from the commission to do a second Workshop so the way that it's in the sunshine sign and everybody can work out the and and leave it specific to the head count so legally it can be done it's just just you know and and even if just two Commissioners wanted to meet that happens sometimes and we would just notice it as a as a you know Sunshine meeting um it doesn't necessarily have to be a formal meeting well it's always of course complies with law with a Sunshine Law which is it must be noticed open to the public minutes are kept but it doesn't necessarily need to require um you know a big Forum necessarily I would do it in more like you're describing an inform formal way but obviously we follow through the rules procedure because perhaps um myself and the vice mayor are available a particular day we can have that meeting and our other colleagues can do it another day the matter the the point is gathering the information and having that one-on-one conversation so whatever flexibility is required let's be flexible about what we can do okay yeah and I and I appreciate the manager bringing up you know six months months from now after test driving basically what we're adding in a way of positions we'll have a better idea of what the you know is this working you know uh are the additional ideas that I've shared with you and each one of my colleagues may have some ideas is that making the the work easier and less strenuous and covering uh the bases that we need to cover so we have a motion do I hear a second but just one second here I I just want to clarify that the initial need was eight right and I think what commissioner Fernandez is asking for is to go ahead and well I want to have the conversation with with staff to see exactly where you know we had one position does that mean that we just have one person that's off team or is this team based I want to have a conversation to see exactly what the need is and then if there is a need then we got to figure it out from the budget but I agree with the vice mayor I don't think we should take it from City Hall I think we we need to find another place to to find money or maybe there's positions that have been open for a year that have not been filled and may not be necessary at this point I want to I want to do a deep dive into into into that portion just to make sure that we're not robbing Peter to pay Paul you know these are Services garbage is one of the most important Services police fire and garbage are the three services that every resident touches on a weekly basis so I think those are the three that that are most important and revenue generating positions I think that's something we should contemplate whether the generation of the revenue offsets the cost of the position you know there there are factors that need to be factored in I just want to now that we've kind of have a framework of of what this budget is going to be it's easier and knowing what the millage is going to be we can really hone down and say this is what we want to do going forward there could be changes in the future but let's sit down have a fruitful conversation on with with solid waste to see what those positions are like the code enforcement how that position is going to be implemented and you know we can we can work from there I think I'm sorry vice mayor I think I understand what you're asking commissioner so we will our staff will work a schedule with each of the Commissioners to meet uh so we can meet with uh sanitation uh parking and code enforcement and go over whatever questions and so on uh in the next week or so so I just want to be clear from a from a budget process perspective um so if you approve the ordinance as it reads today I have a very short timeline to so there's very strict guidelines on Advertising so the advertisement for the second hearing will include the budget that we are proposing at the second hearing will be exactly the same as I am proposing today if there's any changes to that budget it will need to be done on the floor at the second hearing correct and so just so I the expectations I'm going to come back with exactly the same budget whatever conversations you have those decisions will be made at the second hearing and that'll be part of your final adopted budget at that point but I won't make any changes at that point right and and many of the questions that I have and position positional differences I think we need to do in that Workshop because it's we really need the director there we really need or or someone with that capacity there to do that type of re reasoning on you know why is there that need given that the actual number of homes that are being serviced has actually decreased so we need to answer answers to some of these these questions and we'll we'll cover it in a workshop so we have a we have a motion do we have a second I am sorry who seconded it uh I motioned who second I I'll second [Music] it commissioner Fernandez yes Commission Comm Menendez yes commissioner Castro yes vice mayor Anderson yes I want to thank everybody who worked making this possible this is I sat through a few of these this is one of the best we've had in a while thanks to everybody's contribution and involvement including my colleagues and thank you for taking the time to go through all the different positions and the presentation that you offered I know we didn't vote on it uh during the commission meeting and I I had said I wanted to wait until the actual budget to to have that discussion um but I appreciate the work you put in my my yeah no I I felt it was I didn't want to wait till the last minute I'm not one of those last minute people my my vote was yes but I'm I'm very very I feel very very strong that the minimum I will accept is the 2 two for solid waste I mean I've been we're all on the same page that we want to review that and we're all willing to sit down and and look into then I think that's that's that's something that's necessary and then the one last important news that I have is that today is commissioner Fernandez's birthday so if we can all [Applause] please can we you want to sing sing along can we S I don't think not a fan of the I don't think I don't think he wants us to S thank you very much let's adjourn the meeting that's a better way to celebrate meeting adjourned yeah e