##VIDEO ID:cyhBgrUlaOw## e I never saw a sign [Music] that's fine okay Mr clerk good afternoon I think we do Mr cler we ready all right perfect I'd like to call to order the Thursday September 12th 2024 um special assessment public hearing that we're holding here at 3:00 it is 3:05 and we're 36 and we're commencing a few minutes late I apologize before we get started I'd like to lead us with the Allegiance M vice mayor please lead us heart may I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all the way I'll be handling this is I'll be calling every single one of these special taxing items one by one the City attorney will read it into the record then I will open a public record if there's any conver public comment there's any discussion amongst the commission then I'll ask I'll be asking for a motion in a second so getting started with first item on the agenda Madam City attorney thank you Mr Mayor number one is a resolution of the city commission relating to the provision of the Miracle Mile Improvement project approving the updated assessment role for the Miracle Mile assessment area providing for the collection of the assessments to fund the Miracle Mile Improvement project within the Miracle Mile assessment area pursuant to the uniform assessment collection act providing for the effectiv is reuion writing severability and for an effective date Mr clerk is there any public comment yes sir on this item we'll hear publica comment first okay Jackson Holmes good afternoon sir uh thank you so much I want to thank uh uh Diane Gomez and Miss Perez uh and for that matter you Mr Mayor and you commissioner Fernandez in the past for helping um make sure that we have uh that the laws are enforced relating to the uh former business improvement district and because there were so many uh nightmares with that um I'm just here to reiterate what Miss Gomez and Miss Perez email me as to on Tuesday they said that this is this item only refer only uh Rel legalizes the collection of the debt only related to streetscape which is a perfectly legitimate purpose but I figured I should because I've seen this cat has nine lives I I should just ask I see somebody laughing um that um that if any if anyone has a different interpretation of this uh uh item that we're discussing uh please let me know otherwise I'll assume that this has only to do with collection of a past Street streetscape debt Madam City attorney can you provide any Clarity to the question yes this has nothing to do with the any improvement district or any business improvement district this is the those um the prior assessment um setting the assessment rate for that prior assessment area and I think the finance director has a very brief um presentation perfect thank you sir Madam afternoon Finance director so this this annual assessment resolution confirms the assignment of assessment units and comput computation of the assessment it confirms the imposition of the assessment in a manner provided for in the ordinance and establish establishes the assessment for the fiscal year beginning October 1st 2024 and approves the assessment role for the Miracle Mile Improvement project which is a street streetscape project so it's an annual process that has to happen in order for us to continue the assessment okay is there any discussion I'll entertain a motion I'll move it I'll second vice mayor Anderson yes commissioner Castro yes commissioner Fernandez yes commissioner Mendez yes mayor logo yes moving on to item number two number two is a resolution of the city commission relating to the provision of the geralda Avenue Improvement project approving the updated assessment rule for the geralda Avenue assessment area providing for the collection of the assessments to fund the geralda Avenue Improvement project within the geralda Avenue assessment area providing for collection of the assessments pursuing to the the uniform assessment collection act providing for the effectiv this resolution providing severability and effective date Mr clerk do we have any public comment no Mr Mayor sorry this is the resolution setting the assessment for the current year for the Geral the streetscape Improvement project thank you I'll movement second all in favor I thank you moving on to item three number three is a resolution of the city commission relating to the provision of Fire Protection Services facilities and programs in the City of Coral Gable Florida confirming the preliminary assessment resolution re proposing fire protection assessments against assessed property located within the city for the fiscal year beginning October 1 2024 approving the rate of assessment approving the assessment role and providing an effective date Mr clerk do you have any public comment no sir I'll move it a second all in favor I you item four number four is a resolution of the city commission relating to the collection and disposal of solid waste and recyclable materials in the city of cores Florida confirming the preliminary assessment resolution reimposing Solid Waste Service assessments against assess property located within the city of cor Florida for the fiscal year beginning October 2024 approving the rate of assessment approving the solid waste assessment role and providing an effective date Mr clerk do you have any public comment no sir I need a motion I'll move it second mayor we should just have even if it's brief the presentation from from the finance director like okay so in on May um 2020 in on May 21st 2024 the city adopted the preliminary assessment resolution which initiated the process for the annual imposition of the solid waste service assessment and established the rates for solid waste collection for the fiscal year beginning October 1 1 2024 the early payment rate per living unit was $550 and $275 per auxiliary living uh living unit um early payments were accepted through August 15th um the regular payment which will be on the tax bill for those individuals who did not take advantage of the early payment it will be $577 for the single family or one dwelling unit and the uh auxiliary rate um is $288.00 will be on the November tax bill if unil if unpaid as of this point as well as any pass to special pickup charges will also be on the tax bill um so there was about 3,200 accounts which were which had unpaid balances and will be on the tax bill in November thank you very much may have a motion all in favor I I I thank you we on to item five number five is a resolution of the city commission relating to Security Services assessments within the sunrise Harbor security guard special taxiing district providing Authority and definitions confirming the preliminary assessment resolution reproving the updated Security Services assessment role providing for the re-imposition of the assessments providing for collection of the assessments pursuing to the uniform assessment collection act providing for the effect of this resolution providing severability and an effective date Mr clerk uh no speakers Mr Mayor so the um the total estimated Security Service cost for this district for this guard housee district is $345,500 for fiscal year 2425 there is no change in the proposed methodology but there is an increase of $565 46 in the proposed assessment rates the fiscal year um 2425 assessment is proposed to increase from $3,345 cents to $3,600 per improved lot and from 1517 207 with 27 cents to $1,800 per vacant lot the increase required the increas is required to fund Services provided including increase increase in Security Services cost thank you I'll entertain a motion I'll move it I'll second all in favor moving on to number six number six is a resolution of the city commission relating to Security Services assessments within the Snapper Creek Lake security guard special taxiing district providing Authority and definitions confirming the preliminary assessment resolution approving the updated Security Services assessment role providing for the re-imposition of the assessments providing for collection of the assessments areu to the uniform assessment collection act providing for the effective resolution providing severability and effective date Mr clerk do we have any public comment no Mr Mayor so the total assess the total estimated Security Services cost is 33 $3,850 for fiscal year 2425 there's no change in the proposed methodology but there is an increase of $336 72 cents to the proposed uh full assessment rate the fiscal year 20242 assessment is proposed to increase from2 38828 to 27 $2,725 per improved lot unit and from $1,194 14 to $1,362 per vacant lot or unit so again the increase require is required to fund Services provided including increases to Security Services cost thank you a motion I'll move it second all in favor I I moving on to number seven number seven is a resolution of the city commission relating to Security Services assessments within the pine Bay Estate Security Guard Special taxing district providing Authority and definitions confirming the preliminary assessment resolution the updated Security Services assessment role providing for the re-imposition of the assessments providing for collection of the assessments pursuant to the uniform assessment collection Act providing for the effective date of this resolution providing severability and effective date okay um the the total estimated Security Service cost is $212,500 for fiscal year 2425 there is no change in the proposed methodology or rates the fiscal year 2425 assessment assessments are $2,755 18028 per improved lot and $1,377 64 per vacant lot um current projects in uh happening in this in this uh this is a roving only um guard uh special taxing district and so the current projects will use most of the previously generated surpluses thank you Mr clerk no speakers Mr Mayor can I get a motion um I think this is one of the ones that we're having difficulty no no it's not no it's a different item it's coming up so I'll move it second favor I thank you moving on to number eight number eight is a resolution of the city commission relating to Security Services assessments within the Old Cutler Bas security guard special taxing district providing Authority and definitions confirming the preliminary assessment resolution approving the updated Security Services assessment role providing for the re-imposition of the assessments providing for collection of the assessments pursuing to the uniform assessment collection act providing for the effective resolution providing severability and effective date Mr K do you have any public comment no Mr Mayor the total estimated Security Service cost is 69,7 for the fiscal year 2425 there is no change in the proposed methodology but there is an increase of $158 in the proposed assessment rates the fiscal year 2425 assessment is proposed to increase from $4,398 122 to $4,550 per improved lot or unit and they from $2,195 61 to 2275 per vacant lot $2,275 per vacant lot so increase required is to fund the services provided in this guard house district including increases in security cost Services okay I'll move it I'll second all in favor I I thank you number nine is the one that we received um significant emails from in regards to Kings Bay so Mr clerk do we have any do we have any public comment on the record or is it just emails uh no no one here to speak on the item sir okay Madam City attorney number nine is a resolution of the city commission relating to Security Services assessments within the Kings Bay amended security guard special taxing district providing Authority and definitions confirming the preliminary assessment resolution improving the updated Security Services assessment role providing for the re-imposition of the assessments providing for collection of the assessments pursuing to uniform assessment collection act providing for the effect of this resolution providing severability and effective date M Gomez sure so the the total estimated Security Services cost is $37,500 for fiscal year 2425 there's no change in the proposed methodology there is a proposed increase in the sear assessment originally um the city anticipated an increase of $178 15 67 56 however um since we imposed that original uh rate increase in may we obtained additional information regarding a reduction in telephone bill services and therefore um believe that we can reduce the proposed increase by approximately 50% to an increase of $88 56 um or a total uh assessment of 20 $260 so this um this reduction in the rate will still create or cause an operating deficit for the year in this um in in this District however this District does have sufficient uh reserves um to cover that deficit in the current in the upcoming year and then we can reevaluate in the subsequent year if there's still enough reserves to not have to increase the full amount um this Reser the reserves in this District we um are setting Reser the reserves for the guardhouse districts are set at 25% of their operating expenditures um that represents 3 months of operations um it should be uh noted that um the city or the district does not start collecting tax revenues until November December and into all the way June so there does need to be uh reserves for not only for uncertainties and emergencies but also to have cash flow in order to fund the costs of the district while we are waiting on um the tax revenues to come in so the proposal is changing what is in the packet what what I am what I am recommending is that we can reduce the assessment rate by um $88 56 so that the assessment the full unit rate would be $260 instead of what was originally in the packet of TW of um I'm sorry of 2150 so reducing it by uh $90 from what was originally proposed so that would be a uh an adjustment to the resolution as presented in the packet if that is the rate that is decided to move forward with so first off if I may I just want to thank you Diana and and the City attorney and your staff I know we got several emails today I I spoke with multiple residents in the community in Kings B and I appreciate you moving expeditiously to address this issue and to provide a little bit more clarity here on the record um one of the individuals that I spoke with who was very active is Miles and uh he wanted to make sure that obviously in an effort to always have an open door you know policy between the city your office City attorneys and get get a matter addressed so I wanted to thank you for your efforts today and bringing some clarity to that thank you okay is is the commission willing to do anything a little lower cuz after speaking to Residents they're still not happy with that reduction so can you offer us maybe another solution alternative [Music] um so the um big back on that what's the percentage because the number that's you know we've been communicated around 23% so now with these changes what's the increase sure so originally um if we if we if we left the the full um the full amount that the that we initially put onto um the resolution back in may we would then have an additional Sur well we would still have an operating deficit but that deficit um would be about $2,700 if we left the rate where we initially put the rate 2150 per uh full home we would have a annual operating deficit of $2,700 2735 with 19 right based on the budget but that also um assumed a one of the bills were going to come in at um I I can't think of the number right now uh let's just say $9,000 it's no longer we've got an additional information that bill will not be would only be $3,600 for the year therefore we have some room to bring down the assessment so if I bring down the assessment by half of what we were originally planning to take to do then the deficit the operating deficit for the year will be um uh I'm sorry I have it right here would be $8,600 so that deficit would then eat into the fund balance that exists in this um in this District so 25% Reserve um on this District suggests that we should have about just under $72,000 in reserves right now um we have an estimate of anywhere between uh closing the fiscal 24 at about 80,000 somewhere between $80 and $85,000 we don't know yet we haven't closed out fiscal year 24 yet so if I were to do a um reduction of the 50% reduction and eat into $8,600 of that fund balance that would Le me with a fund balance of76 ,000 and so in the the year after in again may be another uh $8,600 or maybe we would have not uh maybe we will end up in a different have having different fund balance because other costs either came in higher or lower we just don't know until we we get there so reducing it by 50% still gives us keeps us at our fund balance Reserve uh goal and we're only at a difference of about $4,600 that's just a little bit of uh flexibility you never know how things are going to work out if we were to reduce it all the way and keep at the rate that was last year then that would create a operating deficit of $20,000 so that $20,000 deficit will then eat into the reserves um and so that we be left with like a 64 $65,000 Reserve Which is less than the 25% res policy Reserve that we have and therefore um you know so it's it's going against what the policies that we had set when we first took over these districts and what we have been operating with since we started so those reserves are the district reserves these reserves do not come into the city's uh for the city's emergency purposes they are segregated and separate solely for the use of the district um and as I mentioned earlier it also gives us the operating cash we need in the first few months of each year before we start receiving the the revenues from the tax bills because we don't we start getting taxes in towards the middle ending of November dece actually probably December is the first time we get it because people have until November 30th to pay it at the first discount rate and then so we get it a couple weeks into December and then a few the December taxes we get into in January so we have to have operating cash available to pay the security guards and the bills um before we start collecting that so my the recommendation that I'm giving here to reduce it only by 50 is because we have enough room and we still will maintain the 25% Reserve so I couple follow-up questions mayor May um were those additional reductions done and this goes for I have a followup question for you Mr Winkle John yes um since we spoke this morning we met around 11 o' um were there additional reductions done from that point or were those reductions already in place well so then in the May meeting there was no reduction we had an increase but I'm proposing a 50% reduction to what was proposed in May in order and yes when we discussed it this morning I was it was already the 50% reduction in our discussions so Mr winkl John um hello and um for the record you represent the special ta taxing district yes I'm the city's contractor that uh provides Consulting and management expertise uh through my company governmental Management Services so I I'd like to hear from you as the representative for the the district uh you know what what is the position position of the majority of the folks that uh reside there just to clarify he's not the representative for the district he's the city's um consultant that assists the city in in the operations of the districts thank you good distinction uh can you restate the last part of your question I didn't quite hear it what is my position did you hear from the individuals that live in Kings Bay uh quite a few I I speak to as many people as I have access to that that respond to me that hear the letter they'll call me etc etc so Mr miles is clearly one of them uh but I also keep in touch with other members of the community and uh I can answer any other questions but uh in from your conversations with the individuals in the community that you've heard from uh what is their um position with regard to the now reduced increase correct the first comment that I received from uh who is per they have volunteer homeowner associations but they're well organized and that individual asked if there was any chance to cut it in half that was his first comment and I said I'll present it to the city and we'll see uh two or three other individuals I shared the situation with them and asked them what they were looking for they all asked for half so the only person who when he negotiated with me to and really Diana to reduce it as soon as he succeeded to get half he said but I want all of it so I um I take it that way okay so um I'm going to go back to to our our budget director um the the policy to establish uh 25% on communities I understand it with gate houses mhm correct um how was that established so um back in 2017 and 2018 when we first were taking over the um guard houses from the county um the then city manager and the team that was put together to develop this um uh this program right because we were taking on a bunch of guard houses and and and transitioning it from the county to us um there are certain uh decisions that were made as to how we should handle and how should we treat these these um these guard houses uh and so and and the roving patrols and things like that and so um no set resolution was ever done or or taken I I don't know how much you know how many conversations the the then city manager had with the commission or not so I can't speak as to any of that however it was determined um that we would maintain um the policies of the of having fund balance reserves of making sure that we um try not to uh increase uh the assessments too much in any one year to kind of spread it over as much as we can with being fair to the district but being fair to the city as well um and so um so policy decisions were made and established and that's what we have been operating under since the start of these districts and we have not really change those policies because there has not been a need to change it um as I mentioned with the with the reserves on the guard houses you know one there's possibility something could happen that we need to make repairs and things all of a sudden where we need the the cash or the the the available funds or and also the districts do require the funds available to operate um for a few months into um into the F each fiscal year um with a roving for example with a roving Patrol um the Chan the only only real costs are the GU uh are the actual security costs so we felt that a 10% reserve on that is is sufficient because in anyone at any one point in time it's not going to the the cost for SEC if we had to change companies or something the increase in the change of the fees there's not going to be much more than that so we have the cushion to be able to absorb any change um and then not necessarily have to increase the assessment immediately at a very significant rate so those were considerations that were made at the time we have been operating under those considerations and those policies um since and so if there is a a want to change policy that we get the direction and we can change policy I'm going to recommend that we keep it as we're operating for the reasons that I've been stating and I think that it's important to have reserves um so that's where that's my position on it but again whatever the decision of the commission is on policy we can then implement it moving forward so I I mean I agree that uh Reserve is a wise thing to do I I noticed that Mr moranto um has come here and uh it appeared he filled out a speaker card so mayor um you want to take public comment now of course okay uh first Speaker miles moranto good afternoon commission morning thank you thank you for allowing us the time to to share um because I was in route to get here I didn't have an opportunity to hear what was shared but I've had some dialogue back and forth uh for some days uh I'll just share with you that we have a very fiscally healthy District our guard housee is a little and I mean little is probably not descriptive tiny rectangular Shack I was part of the process of the original plans that we put it together with the city it's a fortress when I mean a fortress it's a little Fortress we're proud of it we take great care of it we've had a guard house Committee in the community since the beginning throughout that process we annually meet with Paul right and and Paul's been great to work with um from time to time we speak with Diana also who's also very professional I'll just share that throughout our process this year in assessing a proposed tax increase it didn't align with the thoughts of the Guard house committee we have accountants we have people that care greatly that do great in-depth analysis and I I guess you could say we're local right we know our own situation is well or better than anybody from A to Z right in terms of the needs of the of this little rectangular box s to speak and its needs so we don't base things on an assumption of well let's just collect a bunch of money and put it on a pot and have it there forever we establish a very disciplined criteria first of all we look at the fact that we have insurance for for our little District okay uh we know our the walls aren't coming down this is not Jericho we know we saw them built they're concrete reinforced rebarb it's a it's a rock we're 20ft sea elevation the highest of three points in all of South Florida just like the groven and Davy we know what we have in that little tiny Jewel okay so if we keep taxes the same if they remain the same as they currently are when I crunch the numbers maybe for about an hour yesterday with Diana and I'm not going to hold her to this cuz we were just on the phone going through calculators and and and penciling it approximately 23% in excess is in reserve and then it was mentioned to me well we have to adhere to this 25% thing so I went back and spent time and tried to find legislatively if that was the case or if this just applied to something like the city at large emergency fund we're literally not even a mole on the you know what of that I mean we're not even a condo association we're not even a big HOA that's got all these man we have a little rectangular building we know its needs we know that it's relatively new we've been all part of we we've been engaged so when we did an analysis and come up with 10 or 15% as was mentioned by one of the Commissioners to me in an email or something how ironic that for needs of of having a an extra Reserve but on top of extremely conservative line items of expenses and when I say that like a building repair $115,000 if we don't if we don't do a $115,000 building repair this year that'll carry over there's a lot of room within the line items of the budget which is essentially a wash on essentially $300,000 so we if we do indeed have a 23 % surplus of the folks money sitting in this pot and just continue to sit there that far exceeds our needs in fact it's excessive and we just want and expect that the tax would remain the same that's all so I I do have a question and before you arriv um M Gman explained that by the time we collect the money 3 months goes by is that an expense that you uh included in your analysis that the city is covering 3 months of the salaries and and costs and so forth that go into the special taxing district in determining that there's sufficient money there uh so the the city doesn't run a deficit um that those numbers weren't particularly gone over to with me I I don't know if I know the details of your question uh Madam commission Madam Vice uh Madam vice mayor um but but we have excessive Surplus in a reserve that we know now I pay my taxes like many people in November you're talking about if there's some lag there some lag or some you know let's say for instance somebody doesn't pay their taxes and now they're tax a so I'm going to ask you know the finance director to help fill in the gaps here okay of numbers that neither you nor I know right CH so what as I was explaining earlier is that um while you pay your taxes in November the city does not get that money from the county until at least December because it's you have until November 30th so then they will make a distribution at some point in December for the November and then in January for the December so on and so forth so we have to we we have to have funds available to pay the expenditures for the first 3 months 25% Reserve is 3 months worth of expenditures as well so we have to have cash available District funds available we should have District fund available in order to cover the expenses until the taxes start coming in so some of the taxes won't come in even until June if it gets sold in a a tax lean or something like that so um we do need to have available funds on hand and that's one of the uses of the reserves that at the time that we had a discussion I wasn't thinking about it that way so we did not speak about that but um I had since had a conversation with um with Mr Winkle John and he reminded me and that's right um there is we do have a need to have cash on hand in order to pay the expenses for those first three or four months before we start getting in the tax revenues from the county so that's what I was referring to earlier with that and Diana just when you say the first three or four months because the fiscal year begins October October 1st right yeah right in the first 3 to four months you said um so in December we'll receive how much money are we talking about how many people p I don't know I I wouldn't I couldn't even tell you how many people pay November versus December versus January versus all the way up to March that they can pay um without getting penalized and then there's still revenues that we get in June or July after they do the tax sale so I don't know what percentage pays in which month so so how much money do you need on reserve to cover the so 3 months worth will cover us through December Dollar Wise how much money right so right so we're just doing roughly so 25% Reserve 25% of expenditures equates to the equivalent of 3 months worth of expenditures therefore my 25% Reserve in theory if the budget is split exactly month to month even though it's not some expenditures happen at the beginning of the year at the end of the middle of the year so it's not a exact straight line type of calculation then the 3month reserve also gives us cash available to use that District's cash to pay expenses until the revenues start coming in and replenish the reserve and so it's a rolling fund balance a rolling cash balance and then on top of that in case something were to happen an emergency of some sort that we need to have excess funds we also have the reserves that we can dip into without then having to increase the rate in the subsequent year maybe more significantly if something significant happens again I don't reserves are are reserves for in case something were to happen I don't um it's not set exactly for any one particular item it's to have reserves in case something were to go wrong um as well as the fact that we need to have fund cash flows available to cover the expenditures so Mr does that cover your I appreciate it but that's a very broad statement uh Diana and I highly respect your position and what you do but I must say this is the first time I've heard that and I realize it'd be about $70,000 if you take the operating of roughly 300 um for three months but it's almost like a moving goal post because we've done such a deep dive on this and it's not based on well there's expenses or well there's always going to be expenses it's based on a calculation right it's got to be it I mean we know that we've never needed 25% I mean right now we have between 83 and 840 83 and $84,000 sitting there I don't know if it's earning 5% the standard short-term CD or I don't know if the the people paying the taxes are just losing money on that with inflation for all I know but it's excessive we know our needs we know how tiny our needs are how much of a reserve do you think is necessary 10 to 15% is is excessive in some minds I think 10 or 15% is reasonable and if it's closer to 20% what it's still no new tax increase we're talking this isn't a full-blown HOA this isn't I I know I understand but I'm I'm just trying to get information cuz yes it's difficult sitting up here to make decisions with a you know yes knowing what your position is that 10 or 15% would apply and would be significant in this instance now with that window that was brought up and again it was never brought up before the 25% was related to something else but we aren't even talking 10 or 15% keeping taxes the same according to the numbers that we spent an hour calculating it's 23% if they stay the same or about you said they were about 23% uh it's 10 to 15% sufficient to cover the three to four month period I I I mean I'm not prepared to answer that question again so 25% represents 3 months it takes us about 3 months to start getting tax collections in um and so then I would want is that the policy then for all guard houses yes ask sorry miles would you be would you be amicable to do the following to leave it the way it is this year and next year we give staff enough time to consider 20% across the board because I'm going to be honest with you right now at this moment it's a little bit late in the ball game to be able to to be to be doing this not blaming anybody on this I we can take the responsibility for it perfectly fine um we have to change things across the board if we're going to go to 20 we're going to 15 I want a little bit more time to study this yes because at the end of the day at the end of the day that's like saying that we go to our reserves right now and go down from 25 to 20% and that makes me nervous and I'll tell you why um which but I'm willing to maybe go out to 20 to be to be something that's kind of an opportunity for both sides you know we had a hurricane here a few years ago we use those reserves to clean up the city and the director will tell you I'm not saying we're using your reserves for that I'm just saying we use our reserves right never did I expect that we would spend Diana what was the number that we spent $23 million remember and we didn't get paid back for how long wow it's okay six seven years and we still pending a little bit we still pending a little bit and I use that example as something that just came out of the blue and we never expected to have that much that much uh of our reserves have to be used but it got us out of a jam and we were able to you know basically absorb a lot of the Manpower uh and heavy equipment rentals throughout throughout the community because we had cash on hand so I think just to throw some relief to staff and to not have this discussion up here because I don't think that we can get to the bottom of it if we can build consensus that maybe we can look across the board next year and say we can drop it to 20% or 22% and and and do something appropriate right uh I just think it's going to be very difficult for this commission at least for me to make a decision today and say yes we'll drop it to 15% I need I really respect Diana's opinion you know along with the residents but again at the end of the day my job and the commission's job is to be fiduciary on behalf of this community and I want to be very very careful with that if I'm hearing thank you if I'm hearing you correctly I would endorse that meaning that we would keep the the tax rate the same that it is for 2023-2024 fiscal as for the 20245 fiscal and with that that's where the 23% figure came up with yes we would I I would be in favor of that and that's reasonable and then staff and we can all crunch everything from there and by the way it wasn't thrown on on us the numbers that were presented going into the summer and throughout the summer were no what what I let me let me correct it maybe I came up I don't want to say was thrown on on on the residents or thrown on again this is something that we are discussing for the first time in a week you know it's not like we've had time to really delve delve into this this this came to my attention you brought it to my attention literally you called me said Vince I need to talk to about an issue that's concerning to our community then we immediately I said write me an email I brought Christina in we brought Di and to have a conversation about this so it's not I we've been studying on this like for example the budget we study for 3 months right you know we have a real conversation from line items to the milit rate so but what I'm saying I think we're a little bit different on what we're saying um if we if we go that route what would it what would it result in so if we leave the rate at 19714 which is the same rate as last year it would create a budgeted operating deficit of $220,000 20,5 with 87 and that will eat into the available fund balance that we have projected to land somewhere between 80 and 85 88 to $85,000 which would then if all other things remain equal it would drop it down to 64 $64,900 which would equate to about 22.7% of fund balance um the 20% just for quick and dirty numbers here um number to pay attention to the is that 20% would be about 5 $57,400 roughly and so um we're not that we're still you know like so again it's 22.7% would be the where we would end up at the end of fiscal year 25 if all other things are considered equal um my recommendation would be to maintain the 25% Reserve fund balance but as I mentioned before uh the direction and the decision as to what the rate would be will be this commissions I disagree with the mayor I really want to be able to help you out a little more than the 50% I want to be able to do something today maybe not get it to zero how much in percentage wise would the reserve be if we gave him a 75% off so just to be clear when you say 75% off you mean Chang 50 she was I know I know but just to be clear we're talking about the proposed increase exactly so the proposed increase on the floor she has amended it to approximately 50% less than what was in the written resolution and you're saying to reduce that further to 75% another quarter to make 75% can I share something that was based on when we were on the phone we adjusted numbers okay that adjustment wasn't related to anything we're discussing right now that was based on the on the estimates that that was something else remember it was based on the telephone bill that came in less so therefore I felt comfortable budgeting for a lesser amount correct the bottom line is it's still 23% of reserves if the tax stays the same it's 23% of Reser or 22.7% reserves this and I see I see where you're coming from can you give me a percent where the the what the reserves would be with that additional right give me two minutes as I'm doing the calculations yes yes it I mean in all fairness we're not looking to mediate 40 bucks or this or that we're looking at principal commissioner and and and we really believe that 10 to 15% based on our analysis of this tiny building that we take care of day in and day out that we manage that that's sufficient so we have nearly 23% instead of that is there any history of incidents like what amount has been withdraw from the reserve like the biggest amount we've never had anything withdraw from The the Reserve to my knowledge yeah if you don't mind oh no I need to be on the record uh there's operational story which is what you're asking and the operational story is related to and you're here going to hear this with all the districts today just about that the cost of Labor has changed significantly what we've done is we've analyzed the best option the optimal you have to have the right quality of guard at the right rate and it's not always lowering cost sometimes you have to increase the cost to keep that quality of the Guard they we re rely heavily on retention and continuity and and familiarity with the guards and so all the gates were picked to move to a different contract last July and this year this district will go up that's one of the major increases if if you were to see the whole budget you'd see there's about a $40,000 increase strictly new labor money so that's going to be a recurring expense when you have a recurring expense in in a principle of Assessments you should always match that with a recurring Revenue Stream So what we're doing is eating the the cushions and you will and other maintenance items that we just don't don't realize every year at the full amount So operationally speaking uh I don't agree with any of this I think uh what you should be doing is building reserves uh to at least 50% that's actually a normal uh you have a door system that needs to be replaced I've been trying to uh get that ready for replacement but I've I found it just a little cheaper to keep repairing it like there's antidotal answers like that they have a significant amount of asphalt that they own that has never been resurfaced by my observation that's a huge amount of money did you say 50 or 15 50 5 yeah so operationally speaking uh there's always new things that are coming and and just to give you some sense of what kinds of costs could happen operationally I will say all the gates have almost brand new cameras and security components the gate arms because th those are what we do in these Gates those have to work all the time and they do okay but I think the bigger question here you know we keep hearing 25% is what will take us through those first three months from what you're telling us we've never touched the money in the reserves so the money is obviously not coming from those reserved in the first 3 months and just basic math for getting the the full amount in December through June come October November and December we still have 100% so we should have the money necessary if we're getting the money in December to cover us through the following December cuz we're not collecting funds for just 9 months we're collecting the funds for 12 months if we receive it in October we receive it in December we still have a full annual allocation of funds yes so but the first three months we're so right let's just like start at zero the first three months we're if we have no reserves we have no cash flow the city has to front the expenditures for the first 3 months yes but he just said touch no no yes because meaning but we didn't eat into we only measure fund balance at the end of the year so it's a rolling number throughout the year meaning I'm using that cash in October November December I have zero cash maybe in November and December let's just argue right and again it's not an exact one 12th of every month expenditures is there so but it's not that we're not touching the money we're touching it we're replenishing we touching it and we're replenishing it yes so that way by the end of the year September 30th we have again the initial fund balance that may go up or down right he He suggests that it's going to be more like 85,000 my notes say it's going to be about 80,000 plus or minus because I don't know yet where all the expenditures going to lie throughout the year so it is a rolling use of that cash for this District if it's not there then in theory the city has to front the cash to pay those bills for the first three months or however long it takes for us to collect to collect the tax bills the guard houses should be self-sufficient and that means having cash flow for for expenditure purposes and I think to the mayor's Point um making a decision to reduce it the the reserve say to 20% what we're really doing is we're subsidizing with the reserve next year we're going to find ourselves in a worse situation where we may have to double or triple the amount because we will have eaten up the reserve and we're operating at a deficit I mean is am I understanding that correctly cuz we would be operating you said at a deficit of approximately $20,000 so next year arguably we'll probably be operating in a deficit of at least 20,000 depends on the result the results of operations for next year right if we end up with a natural Surplus next year then it may not be but if we end up with a natural deficit because something happened then we would have you know so we would be then below the the reserve policy so yes so the thing is is that I don't know where we're going to land at the end of next year when I'm setting the rates today for all of next year that hasn't happened yet but I guess this goes back to what we had discussed in May and I think all of us were in consensus that we should have more information way before this meeting so that we can make a better decision when we get here residents are better informed maybe it's a community meeting to over the finances at some point maybe have um John participate in one of the HOA meetings so that he can explain the finances uh for the coming uh fiscal year and answer any questions at that point um CU now I think we're put in a situation where we're looking like the bad guys but at it it's the finances that are being presented to us and we're here at the last minute trying to play catchup I've talked to uh miles probably seven times in the last 24 hours I've talked to the director I've talked to the manager we've been trying to figure this out over the last you know the mayor spoken to them the vice mayor I think everybody up here has had a conversation trying to figure out how to fix this and for next year we need to find a better way to do this so that we're not playing this two-minute Dead uh two-minute warning and we're trying to figure out how win the game with three touchdowns so if I may just one one quick thing this is simple accounting if you do simple accounting and you understand accounting it's all it's all forecasting what Diana is doing is forecasting for next year she doesn't have a crystal ball she's never going to tell you if water goes up electricity goes up insurance goes up Landscaping goes up there's a cost the roof fails we forecasting you don't understand I'll give you an example Coco Plum in their in their in their guard house they have serious Renovations in their guard in their guard house right now forthcoming major repairs as the gentleman Mr Gan can tell you because they've been dealing with that issue for some time from everything from lighting to the roof to the air conditioning they're having major issues so you know you can't expect more from staff staff can only do so much when they're forecasting based on previous situations but if your insurance goes up 30% maybe it goes to 35 or maybe it goes up 20 she doesn't know that so you can't you can only you can only ask her to do so much so I'm of the belief that the real Crux of the conversation is a simple one and that is let's do some research to see what other associations throughout Miami day County are doing okay number one what's their reserves I'm very fiscally conservative I don't like debt I like to have reserves I like to leave things better when I'm gone than when I started I don't want to touch that okay and in my opinion you know before we make a decision today I think we need to have more conversations see what other municipalities are doing in regards to the reserve you know I don't feel cond going to 10% 15% it's a little aggressive in my opinion especially you know being in the construction world I see what things cost about 23% no no I'm keeping it the same and goward percentage Dan 22.75 so my point was and we my point was that I I think that you know moving forward moving forward if we leave it what's the difference between the payment between 22 75 and taking it to 25 well how much more will the residents pay this year so if at what I was proposing when I first came to the put talk they were paying 80 they would pay $ 8856 more um $7 a month more I didn't do I didn't do the math 8856 a year more you m say year so I wanted to say a month you know I want to sure it was right and commissioner Cas asked me a question about if we were to reduce it by another quarter uh percent then that would be an increase of $44.63 and then the reserve um would be and again just doing quick numbers just under 25% but we would break protocol with with what we've done for every every other Association if I round up I guess I will have my 25 the 25% Reserve will still be there if we reduce it to 75 but then that tells me that there's a very good chance that I'm going to have to more increase in next year by more if we're going to you know maintain the 25% Reserve but by next year we can re-evaluate we'll have time to actually study this and analyze what are other municipalities doing right I mean and and Mr wil Jen he does the special taxing districts for a lot of districts within uh South FL uh South Florida I guess yeah within throughout the state and he is in agreement with the policy reserves and as you as he mentioned he even recommends even higher reserves so there's um so that that is what is what needs to happen in order to be um I guess fiscally responsible for these districts right so I don't know that the count used to maintain these reserves I don't know that they did but then again they came over to the city because they wanted to be handled differently and better and I say better but I don't that's not maybe the best word um differently than what they were being handled in the county they came to us for a reason because the residents were not happy with the way that it was being handled M goes could we hear from Mr winkl John I'd like to I'd like to ask someone just a question sure thank you sir how are you excellent mayor thank you thank you for being here with us is always and always being available for any questions can you give us a little bit of of of uh obviously your background very briefly and also examples of what other associations are doing in regards to reserves and if you've seen any problems when you know associations have had under reserves right professionally I I'm trained in City management and I've been in the private sector as a city manager a consultant at interim city manager and district manager for the last 35 years in that capacity yes almost all of our communities have had some sort of security gate I also have a military law enforcement background of 29 years so I have both skill sets I hope you can appreciate uh that that I can do both parts the uh the security advisement as well as the uh financial and management uh with all that said uh my firm handles about 80% of the taxing districts the dependent independent taxing districts which have their own board that are elected uh I handle specifically the ones that are dependent that work for a city Commission I'm also your consultant and your executive director for the green Corridor which uh most couple of you have served on or currently serving and I'm a resident of the Gable so I do I do have a personal interest in this project I don't live there but I want to see it succeed yep okay so what do you think about about the issue of of what other municipalities are doing uh in regards not municipalities excuse me I correct myself associations are you seeing them dip below 25 are they they have higher reserves I have I don't think anybody here has any background with other associations in districts we actually it's not a very uh common culture to to worry about reserves frankly uh because of their their financial structures are much broader a gate district is a very narrow scope it has one or two contracts so we can predict our annual operating but there is a building and Kings Bay is they're all a little different each of our of your districts has a different envelope of Maintenance responsibilities Kings Bay has has had a significant deferred maintenance which you can imagine when the county turned them over uh We've caught up with that in in excellent incremental uh practices and so their my evaluation is that they they are still deferring maintenance I mentioned asphalt I me they they actually own a parking lot and we work in conjunction with the city public works because we actually can participate in quite a bit of the Landscaping debate uh at the entrance of that Community because the standard legal interpretation if you you know mind me mentioning it Christina is that the district can be responsible for anything that was improved for the purpose of the district we don't have a boundary so to speak we have what did we do to build that gate we put a curb in we put a sidewalk in we are allowed to maintain that so it can be big or small okay so what is the will of the commission moving forward what would you like to do Mr Mayor I have additional speaker okay okay uh Mr David Hill Mr Hill good [Music] afternoon all right good afternoon ladies and gentlemen there there's $83,000 in a reserve right now November December is two months which is $22,000 in reserve to pay for the lack of taxing assess to I mean brought into the district for the last three years we haven't haven't really had a lot of expenditures the main one this year was the cameras and the motors other than that everything is running smooth we've increased the landscaping around there still under budget we have a lot of I call a lot of fluff in this from the 2025 budget for this year he says $155,000 for maintenance we haven't spent 15,000 the maintenance this year we've already had the expenditures last year of improving the guard house so $82,000 last year we had $97,000 I believe but we spent money on improving the guard housee this year we'll have less maintenance replacing gate motors No cameras this year which is another $7,000 in savings I I don't see why the increase has to be 25% we're here at 83,000 at October coming up 66,000 November December and then the money comes back in we're almost even we still have a reserve of $882,000 that money belongs to Kings Bay as our taxes which you guys are holding for us to use if we have a major problem yes we have a major problem you have to borrow that that money to pay for something in Gables but it still belongs to Kings Bay at the end that's our taxpayers money mind if I if I just have the finance director clarify a comment that you made in regards to the increase right so the increase is not um 25% the reserve is 25% the increase um at the rate that I was proposing when I first came to the podium on this one was a 4 and a half% increase of the rate cuz it was a 9% originally and then we cut it in half so about 4 and a half% increase you had you had some some additional information new numbers in regards yes you want to again I want to clarify everything up here yeah cuz this these tangents take us off the simple math right so that was a phone bill we were being charged for $1,500 a month okay $1,500 a month and after it went a couple months finally it was corrected and brought down to under 300 a month okay but that's why that was taken down to 4 and a half that was probably for phone internet all kinds of stuff right yes the the line and what was represented to us in June at the end of May at the commission meeting at the end of May going into June fact sir sir can you speak directly into the mic please this was given to me personally when we met and that reflective of that the base would stay the same for the same fiscal years what it is now would stay the same and I thought that was your not motion but idea for a motion and we we would endorse that certainly keeping it the same going back and evaluating next year between now and next year my concern my concern with that is twofold and then my colleagues can move in any direction they'd like number one we're setting a precedent outside of all the other associations right that's a problem that's number one that's a problem because I'm going to have every Association come back to me and say I don't want to pay as much either so we've already voted on some of them already here that's number one number two number two is I want to give I want if we're going to really move forward in that direction to lower let say to 22.5% or to 20% whatever the number finally is I want to make sure that we have input from all the individuals involved all the Mr Winkle John he can give he can give the commission a memo give the manager a memo explaining what other municipalities are doing and do this the right way not on the podium before the commission I think that it's just to me it's it's it's it just sends the wrong message uh that we're doing kind of things a little bit quickly and not really assessing them that's my opinion but our message is not just a message based on an idea it's based on facts in our in-depth analysis and us being local and being on the ground and knowing that 23% or parenthetically say 22.7% in reserves keeping the taxes the same as they were in fiscal 24 as it will be in fiscal 25 works and that's it and it's that simple there's no more math to to it I I feel very comfortable with what Diana said with the additional quarter discount you were almost at a 25% reserve and then next year it reevaluate if maybe 25% is the amount all for all associations and we could reevaluate for everyone but this year I would feel comfortable with another quarter discount I think it would leave you what $40 um it it would um the increase from last year's rate would be then $446 sense so I need and and nobody came here today for an extra 20 bucks or 40 bucks we're all here for a matter of principle and we don't want a discount we don't want to mediate anything all we want to know is that you feel comfortable as we in our in-depth analysis with CPAs accountants Kings Bay guard house committee and our residents right that we feel great with 23% in reserves in fact it's excessive and we just want to move forward vice mayor so question I have for you because U you know repaving was was you know brought up as something that needs to be done is that something that you as a homeowners association I'm just going to use that as a a way of talking about the group of residents there have considered you know the cost of and budgeting for is that something that you're looking for to get done we don't have any potholes or pavement or anything around the guard housee that was done in recent years when we built the G housee okay anywhere else in the community that no we don't have one pothole in our community right all right okay I just want to make sure because it was something that was mentioned is there any yeah I don't recall seeing potholes when I rode through there no they're newer the roads are in Nice condition I think that's the other that's item 12 huh that's item 12 no they're here for that one but that that one does have issues with poles yeah no I yeah we'll get we'll get to that one no but but since it was mentioned that the area had not been repaved in some time and although I've gone through the neighborhood well 2010 I know areas of the gables that wasn't what it was there's no potholes I know so does does anybody on the commission feel comfortable putting it down to 20 I personally I don't because the numbers are not in front of me I haven't done my own research I I I trust what you're telling me but I I need need to analyze this a little deeper right right now it's too soon to be able to say I'm comfortable with 20% I don't know how the rest of the commission feels we're seeing 22.7% can we can we round it up to 2 20 23% roughly yes about 23% so the savings we're talking about is the savings we're talking about is Diana what is the savings we're talking about a year I'm sorry repeat the question on 23% keeping it the same as it is now so keeping the theate rate where it was last year um will then report an operating deficit of $220,000 based on the information I have today would be that the fund balance that I have if I use the higher number of $85,000 that um of what the fund balance may end up at at the end of this fiscal year reducing that by 20 the $20,000 deficit that we will be going into 25 with will give me $64,900 so it'll be a $20,000 loss in regards to the reduction even even increasing it to the what I what from May would still have an operating loss of $2,700 but since we have excess more than 25% right now that's fine we can eat into the um eat into the excess reserves but and still maintain our 25% Reserve so leaving it where it's at is going to cause an operating def deficit in the current year and subsequent years potentially of $20,000 so reducing that from the from balance that we are anticipating $85,000 will leave us with $64,900 be even larger like it'll be eating away at the fund balance even faster so my what I was trying to explain is that um while yes if we do that in this year leave it where it's at yes that's what the 22.7% number that um Mr mil uh Mr miles is saying that um he would uh that we would be at 22.7% Diana where do we where would we break even so I at the 25% roughly so when uh so going 75% and again these are moving targets because every I don't know exactly where we're going to end up right so based on the information that I have in front of me right now reducing it from what the original increase was instead of by 50% by 75% would give us a fund balance of 25% 20 it was like 24.8 so we can and I was doing quick and dirty so I'm sure that it's we can round to 25 and say that's a 25% Reserve so that would be um satisfying the existing reserve requirement as well as reducing the rate as much as possible but it gives us no real wiggle room right if if the budget comes out to exactly what we budgeted for and I know that that doesn't always happen but it's our estimates with information that we have um but I guess that I can I can be okay with that from a finance director from your Finance director trying to do the best for this District okay I I you're not you're not satisfied with that right if it doesn't stay the same correct absolutely because 23% is excessive as a surplus in our in our analysis in our living there and knowing that rectangular building and the needs what we've had done what's very concern conservative in line items on this budget that's going to carry over next year we we have all that analysis to the te and we know that 23% is fine so let let me ask you because it's excessive so if we have leftover money next year and let's say we go to 30% we can return the money like we've done before we can so in a subsequent year we reduce the rate if we feel that we have to we have to reduce yes not to this District per per se but yes in other districts if they have excess fund balances we do either take on a project that is voted on by the community or by the in the district if they add services or whatever to use up that fund Bal or we reduce the rate but a lot of times one thing that should be considered reducing the rate maybe for a one-year reduction maybe a two-year reduction and then we have to bring it back up because in those other years we operate in a deficit to eat up that fund balance so then it becomes very difficult because then all of a sudden now we have a 30 % increase in the rate because we have to get back to where we where we were so it's just um so we again the direction that we've been given is to try to not have those fluctuations every year to try to be consistent um as your Finance director I will disagree that 23% is excessive I would even disagree that 25% is excessive but again that is what we are working with today and that's you know but I don't think this Commission is going to go down to 23% I could be wrong but I I reading the room I don't think it's going to happen so help me help you find another alternative we we should not discuss this finally tonight I think we should have a couple of meetings has to be done today it has to be and that's what that's what we've been saying that this is kind of last minute because we have no choice but to decide this today defer this that's why I offered I offered I said let's keep going with the 25 stay where we're at we're at IAL $40 a year right correct $446 yes it is is it $44 said4 I was off by $4 I apologize hold on but it's sorry he's that would be um the proposed increase currently is $887 8856 so I cut that so the phone bill was corrected yes so that's what I'm talking been a lot of numbers so what I'm saying so what I'm saying is it's a very it's a nominal increase I know it's an increase it's a nominal increase next year we'll be able to analyze it with some more time and say if we have a reserve of 30% we could say instead of going up 25 we go down 20 you know we have excess money for some reason if we have too much money we can just cut back and return some of that money back to the community like we've done in the past do you feel comfortable right now voting on this and and cutting cutting this down to 23% me I mean let's we we've been talking about this for a while and realistically I think commissioner Castro is absolutely correct we're in a point now if the advice we're being given is that we should be at 25% because it takes a 3 months to cover the the expenses I'm ready to vote on this next year and say Hey you know we've done the studies and we only need 177% just to throw a random number out there and I'm ready to say okay let's reimburse everybody this year and cut back their their fees but my concern is we cut it back this year to 23% and we realize hey we we ended up short on money and next year we have to go up $600 or $700 and I think that's going to have a worse impact than if we increase it by the 4 $4 today which is a compromise that I think we're we're willing to to give and work towards next year and I'm not saying May of next year we should start working on this in January so that we have some sort of resolution on the commission as to what the the rates uh should be that we should set for all the different uh districts and then by the time that may comes around we have a conrete number that you can work with and by September everybody knows where we stand and everybody's ready to to vote here and this can not be an issue next year okay so we're talking about $44 a year increase not $88 a year that was that was already decided before before was $88 so we're saying to reduce it to 44 to keep the balance of the Reserve at 25% correct right now we're so basically we're going to use anything that's above that 25% to reduce the uh the increase that that would be given I need a quick question for next year what's the earliest the numbers are available where we everybody collectively can start working on this I know there you have to wait for the numbers to come in so um to be fair um that all expenditures come in and we have reconciled it probably we can start talking about it in January or February easily my suggestion I you know I don't know the procedure here in terms of a commission but I propose that the city have a workshop in each of the taxing districts as soon as the numbers are available early on so it basically replicates what we're doing here but in each taxing district so we can have at least start the discussion if there's an issue we have time to Sure figure it out and if I may and I'm legally speaking so I don't know what that rate is going to be until this commission sets that preliminary rate and that happens in May roughly um could we you know so it's kind it's so if I have a workshop in July in January or February or whenever I am saying well this is what I plan to bring forward to the commission I don't know what the commission is going to do but this is what I plan to bring forward so it's kind of the cart before the horse a little bit and so but one thing that the commission could do is determine the policy that it wants to have going forward in terms of percentage perhaps not District specific but just generally what the policy and I wasn't saying District specific but have a workshop where the residents of that taxing district can we can start that conversation with them and air out any early uh issues that may pop up and I think that goes a long way and commissioner just to affirm what you shared that's exactly what we do and Paul's been wonderful with that we meet regularly yeah but we're not engaged in that so I'm saying that we as a body be involved in those workshops for example on May the 21st here this when I met with Diana after these were the numbers going into June exactly remaining the same as what we were requesting today nothing to change so that's what was represented and then after that throughout the summer we also had meetings and phone conferences that also confirmed the same numbers the tax rate would stay the same so when it was announced in the last couple weeks it wasn't representative of May 21st or throughout the summer this is different than what was represented to us the well the May agenda item included this exact same the budget at the increase of the $1 17856 so the budget the proposed rate from this board has always been uh 17856 this was made yeah 2150 increases it by increases it by the 17856 so your current rate was 190 1,971 144 and that's the and that so the increase has been I'm going to make a motion uh to the for the $446 change I'll second so I mean by may you know we will have insurance rates and you should have also with the labor cost which is one of the most volatile items that you have so that we can better plan for next year rather than trying to do this on the Fly here now we're already hopefully and hopefully you already have even more Reserve than you need and then it'll be a much more productive conversation next time right if I may uh Diana would you restate for the record exactly the figures that we're talking about so there's a clear record so um if it's okay I want to round it to an even number so I'm reducing it by 8 cents additional so I can get to a solid number of $2,116 as the rate for this for the um uh full unit and $108 for a half unit or vacant lot so that is reducing it by a little bit more than 75% from what was originally proposed in May and so that is what we would submit as the rate to the tax collector tomorrow um as the rate that will be on the bills in November 2016 second so the increase would be what like 4323 and yeah $44 and there was a little more a little a little tiny more 44 44 sorry 44 and then this8 minus this so the increase is $44 and 56 all right all right we're good I'm very happy with that vice mayor underation yes commissioner Castro yes commissioner Fernandez yes commissioner Menendez yes mayor Lago yes all right moving on to item number 10 please number 10 is a resolution of the city commission relating to Security Services assessments within the hammock Oaks Harbor security Guard Special taxi and District providing Authority and definitions confirming the preliminary assessment resolution approving the updated Security Services assessment role providing for the re-imposition of the assessments providing for collection of the assessments pursuant to the uniform assessment collection act providing for the effect of this resolution providing severability and an effective date so the total estimated security cost Services is $273,950 for fiscal year 2425 there is no change in the proposed methodology or the rates the fiscal year 2425 assessment is are remain at 2,6 9880 per improved lot and $1 13494 per vacant lot okay we have any any public comment no Mr Mayor all right move it second all in favor I I thank you number 11 please number 11 is a resolution of the city commission relating to Security Services assessments within the hammock Lake Banyon security guard special taxi and District providing Authority and definitions confirming the preliminary assessment resolution approving the updated Security Services assessment role providing for the re-imposition of the assessment Pro providing for collection of the assessments pursuing to uniform assessment collection act providing for the effect of this resolution providing severability and an effective date so the total estimated Security Service cost is $115,500 for fiscal year 2425 there is no change in the proposed methodology but there is a $500 increase in the proposed assessment rates for fiscal year 2024 2425 assessment is proposed to increase from $482 to $982 per improved lot unit and from $241 to4 91 per vacant lot so the increases needed to fund the services provided this District had been reduced in a prior year due to excess reserves which have then been eaten up and so now we need to increase in order to restore the rate to correct levels over the next couple of years okay anything in a motion um Mr Mayor I have a speaker on this item yes Ron ponzoli how are you sir no this is a different this he lives in there I think yes okay I have your letter right here how are you sir good morning Mr may my name is Ronald ponzoli this is my wife we live at you got that it okay we've lived there since 1979 and this is the first time I've ever had to come to this commission so if I may for a second for one second so this um this item is regarding the roving Patrol not the guard house that's okay because they have very very similar names oh I heard my name called yes because it's clerk the clerk okay so more minutes call up 20 seconds it's going to be it's going to be the next one all right do we do we have a motion yes a motion second I I thank you moving on to 12 number 12 is a resolution of the city commission relating to Security Services assessments within the banan drive security guard special taxing district providing Authority and definitions confirming the preliminary assessment resolution approving the updated Security Services assessment role providing for the re-imposition of the assessments providing for collection of the assessments pursuant to the uniform assessment collection act providing for the effect of this resolution providing severability and an effective date so the total estimated security cost Services um for this district is for this guardhouse district is $396,900 for fiscal year 2425 there is no change in the proposed methodology there is a proposed increase in this year's assessment the fiscal year uh 2425 assessment is proposed to increase from 5 $5,100 to $8,100 per improved lot and from 2550 $2,550 to $4,250 per vacant lot so this um guard housee was a a new construction recently and so deficits were was created due to construction overruns and so um and as well as the fact that additional Security Services were required um per the um per the permitting of the construction project because of unforeseen road closures and and things like that so the the the guard the additional Security Services plus the addition additional cost of the actual construction requires that we increase the rate um over the next three and a half if not four years in order to be able to recoup funds that have already been expended on the construction of this guard house so this guard house is this special taxing district is in a deficit position and this is exactly what I was talking talking about when you were presenting this last time and and I he he assured us that everybody would that he had spoken to to all the owners and that everybody was okay with this increase so it's not that they're okay but I don't I don't believe that's what what Mr Ole John said he said that he communicated it with um with the with the residents this is a hefty increase and with no notice or this is something we spoke about before that I kept on asking questions about I mean myself I we got this increase it' be pretty alarming so we should the increase should be closer to $11,000 in order to recoup all the funds that the city had had to front into this District so remember this this the the expenditures have happened already the con the guard housee was constructed the security services were paid right because that is what the district says and we we um the city has agrees to when we do a guard house we front the funding and then we we have the taxing Authority to bring to recoup it and again so it's not to increase it all in one year to recoup it all we have decided to spread it over um I think this is going to take us about three and a half if not four years to recoup what the city has already expended on this District again um that that is uh that's the position that we're at I mean we will not I don't know how much further than 3 or 4 years or should we be it would it be responsible from the city's standpoint to continue to extend this so I I understand what what you're um saying but at the same time we do have to recoup it the the there were cost overuns we were not the project was we were not going to stop the project we were not going to to not deal with the permit restrictions and and requirements we had to continue the the district was requested by the residents uh not by 100% of the residents I bet because it's not not a homeowners association it's not a mandatory Association it is a special taxing district but good but have there been notice provided within this time for at Le to we so um so notice is given so the the May 21st agenda is published the in um we uh Paul Winkle John has um developed a website over the summer or earlier that explains a lot of the different cost the budgets for each of the districts and communicated that to the residents um letters went out um it was advertised in the uh this public hearing was advertised in the community newspapers in early August and it was on the trim notice um that went out in uh August 20 whenever the the county sends that out so um I don't know how much more or what kind of notice other notice would be uh would would be um requested but if different notice is requested we can sure we can in fact uh give additional no after passes a certain threshold I mean an increase of this magnitude in percentage wise is is pretty significant maybe we can think us as a city after a certain amount of money or after a certain percentage we need to com have a little better communication with with the residents so uh could we hear from the residents so that's what I can we also just go through the clerk Mr clerk yes sir public comment yes one speaker Ron Pali welcome back hello again well I've heard these numbers throwing around and I'm here because of the $785,000 [Music] was collection of $750,000 for the project over two years then um they started collecting for the security guard I called about that and they said the money that is collecting now at $ 4700 a year is for the guard because they don't know when it's going to start and they didn't know when they're going to have the project when we got to [Applause] notice that our uh annual payment went up from $5,100 to $8,100 which is a pretty substantial uh jump it went from 4700 to 5100 you know those are old numbers so it goes up but at $3,000 i u made some phone calls and for the first time I found out that we had security Now when they started this project and forget my voice I have a voice problem when they started this project they leveled everything that was there I'm not this is this may be a joke but I'm not kidding if you want to make a a u No Man's Land movie for World War I just put some Bandelier wire in there you could do the movie there were potholes there were everything else I mean it was a gift to a company that does alignment for cars but we put up with that and we went through it when it rained there was mud I never saw a security guard in the project if there were somebody that's I parked out somewhere else how does that help Security on the project because the safety is the project they should have had a mash unit from what we had to go through so anyway this went on and then it it appears from the records and this is a pretty difficult thing to interpret but my my um interpretation of this is that half 50 $526,000 was paid for security during the const construction okay I have not seen any post orders to know what these people are doing every security has post orders you do this you do that so to find out what these people that we never saw on the project I guess they had the drive over it but they didn't like the drive over it very often you have to look at their post orders so then in Oh by way uh there was a sent out to us uh a schematic and what was going to be built and I questioned one of it because there was a septic tank had to be a septic tank unfortunately it was right in front of St Thomas's rector's house I'm a member of St Thomas Episcopal church so I called and I said uh please don't put that in front of our rector's family said oh no no no everything's fine we got all the permits everything's good it's going in the right away okay so I didn't hear about that again then suddenly somewhere in the project we drove up and there was two security guards and I think they were Allied security guards that does our security guard now and some construction had obviously started not on the North side this this is a dog Lake there's two parts of this on um uh east and west and then the uh South Florida Water Management District road goes from the church down to the gate there were two cars and there's these crazy lights flashing up against where the construction's going on this apparently is what's being referred to as 263,000 $2 for security to put in a $30,000 septic tank the septic tank was paid by the general contractor because that was part of the contract so what were these security guards supposed to do according to this there was a lane of traffic closed ladies and gentlemen of this commission there were no LAN there was just a combat area there were no Lanes so if you're going to have Lane security and I'd like to see the post orders of those security guards CU I never saw anyone come out of the cars if you're going to close a lane the first thing you do is you put a a sign out lane closed no such sign if you're going to have a flag flagman no such sign blinking lights now they have all these blinking lights I never saw a security guard out there now think about this how many cars go through there at 1 2 3 4 5:00 in the morning it's crazy so I why would you any businessman or if you're going to a bank to get a loan and saying I'm putting in a $30,000 septic tank but I have to pay I have to borrow $236,000 to pay for the security I don't know why it took that long to do it three years ago I had Mr Chapman come out and everybody knows Chapman came out and did my septic tank he knew it was an $188,000 tank when they started they were finished in three weeks one week later I got my certificate from the state why this thing took 5 months it's incomprehensible and if they weren't working why were we having the security guards for lanes that didn't exist it makes no sense anyone that has Common Sense has got to say this can't be right we did not come to this meeting we did not get notice of the meeting in May so I don't know what happened in that meeting so I suggest if we do this it would be nice to send it out out like this so what have they done they raise it from 5100 to 8,100 and they're nice enough to say we have a deficit and we're going to give you three or four or five years to pay it we'll be dead we'll be dead but but but we're not leaving we're going feet first out of that place I'm not kidding we'll be back but listen no let's use common sense I'm sorry you have question well not not not necessarily but I just have to put on the record that um I back when the construction started i w i routinely had before it started I routinely bike through and cut through banon drive as a way to avoid some of the crazy drivers on on Kendall Drive and the first time going through there there was no barricades and it was fun wasn't it it was fun on a bicycle was really interesting yeah so so say I was a little muddy I I I was a little muddy so on the record full disclosure yes I did experience what you were talking about now what's not clear to me is the communications that occurred um with the homeowners as to what these costs are and I don't know if Mr Winkle John could uh Enlighten us about some of that you know cuz we have a lot of questions here and I don't know if you can address some of that um specifically since you were the one dealing with this this area by the way I spoke to him for I think for the very first time I met trying to get aded yeah no no no he's a very nice gentleman I just don't agree with a darn thing he's saying and I don't understand what he's saying other than that he's a swell of God look we can agree to disagree pay that my amount of money yeah thank you um so there's there's a lot to unpack here you don't have enough time this week to fill in all the information so I'll answer some general questions but I think you know like the other District details it's really complex munua and I I'm going to be you know I can go through it but I don't think that's what you want uh the there is a big picture history and situation with all new districts that is inherently flawed this District was actually created by you and endorsed by resolution of this in 2016 that is actually when the budget is set and what happens is the residents who want the project put together the first budget they get their residents assign and get the vote and the district wasn't handed to you until 2020 2019 2020 so there's 3 years elapsed and the actual project finished at the end of actually the very beginning of 202 before it finished in December uh right at the beginning of this fiscal year so to to try to project finances expenses to to go through a very difficult construction project when you're putting four new Lanes or one gate and three new Lanes in a two-lane road with a certain restrictive RightWay there's a lot of risks uh that engineering won't work final engineering won't work Health Department won't approve it that which is the case here uh when do you decide to not build it when do you decide to tell people what it's going to cost you don't know that you don't know that until we actually got the final numbers together like you've heard we we live 15 months in the rears in this business so all that said uh I just wanted to give you sort of the 30,000 F foot perspective of this project and our contractor was isn't here to to go through the technical but if I I have a pretty good grasp of it if you want to know why we had to have the two flag waivers and security and such but so I think we're at a Crossroads here we have a pretty significant amount of money um we're not privy to all the details in regards to the construction or the security but we have to make a decision today right so with that being said everything was vetted we we we reviewed the contract documents we reviewed the safety protocols that were put in place it's audited everything is fine and in every Department of it related to this in the city was part of this process Public Works was a tremendous asset uh to try to rectify these problems Public Safety obviously uh accounting clearly this was not our supervision it's not our project no it was the district's project technically y all right so are there any further questions any other further statements in regards to the matter how long did the project take we uh started planning the way it works is you you try to do it in threeyear span you do a year of planning you do a year of Permitting and you construct in in between in two years you're supposed to do it this one took a year in design it took two years in permitting so it and it took a year and a half to build due to number of complicated issues but so it was a 5-year project that that was originally intended to be two and a half okay so were they no were they advised where they notice with the amount of money or at least an average or an estimate so that they wouldn't be surprised yeah so that information the actual knowledge that the extra security services were going to be a requirement did not come to light until the end of last year's physical process and their budget was already set so there was no cycle to formally notify anyone uh I had like most of these districts there's no formal relationship it's an informal relationship with the resident and so with that the informal group that founded the the district and they were on daily participation not all the residents were in that group uh so the normal notices went out of the normal information which he's articulated is it enough no it's not there's a flaw in the process without a doubt that these districts fall out of the sky that there's no staff input onto the final budget there's no mechanism to meet and to coordinate with people uh formally so you can hear in my comment that there's some informal or formal improvements should another District come to you that you we can help fix so this $8,100 yes happened in one year the need for it came in this year's yeah cuz the bills remember you probably have done enough construction where you get a deposit and then you don't get another draw until construction starts well construction didn't start for a year in that time period and then the draws happen pretty quickly because it's actually a short project uh from because it's only you know 90 ft it's a little building but it's all the infrastructure so those bills actually if I have some handouts I sent to the residents I I'll share with you tonight if you need them uh and it's on their website that I created uh but yeah the the actual Confluence of facts is we started to see uh December we got the first draw but the actual second and third draws in in the security payments for the extra flag waivers and stuff like that really didn't hit our books until February this year yeah I it's weird but that's how it works okay so is it the amount of increase or are you questioning the amount of work that was actually done the whole project I'll tell you why first I I appreciate his comment that prices went up but the project was $834,000 they are very proud of the fact that they only went over budget 14% they just totally ignored the security like it never existed and not part of it they used up all of the uh all of the um 470,000 that they collected for the gate guard that was all used it wasn't used for the gate guard now here's the here's here's the problem I was told that they had to have two security guards for security for the project I don't know where they were but all through the project there were two security guards when the septic tank thing came up they hired two more security guards so unless my I what I was told that the why why couldn't they use the security guards from that that would have saved $236,000 I I understand where you're coming from but this is a money that we've already upfront it and I think that would be a different situation completely if we now have to reevaluate or try to go back and investigate if there was two security guards or or what not I think right now what we need to think about is how much you are going to pay and if we can maybe well spread it out a little more I speak even though I didn't sign a card I'm sorry you can fill it in afterwards okay yeah okay I'm sorry um what I'd like to say is is that he has coordinated with as he told me on the phone three people one of them does not live in the neighborhood He is building a beautiful home but he doesn't live there so he's been one of the coordinators the other coordinator lives on my street has been probably the instigator of the whole project and he says he's washed his hands of the whole thing so you have one person who doesn't live there one person who really says I have nothing to do with it and you have my very nice neighbor right across the street who hasn't told us anything bless his heart and so what we have asked for is an accounting and an audit of our gate guard tell us where the money went you look at it and say yep that's $8,100 whatever but I'm going to I'm going to ask well after that I'm going to ask the administration and everyone involved U I would say the first meeting in October if we can have a detailed breakdown of what happened with those dollars especially with security because for residents are not to physically see security and then they're hiring I think you said two more security me uh Personnel probably to find the first two that nobody could find um I think we need a detailed breakdown because we're putting the burden obviously on the residents but there's some questions as to why we're making payments or at least are the payments Justified and I agree that the B the commission should and for the sake of the residents get a detailed breakdown of exactly what happened I want Clarity I'm not pointing fingers but let's get all the information so we can understand better okay I'm respectfully asking and proposing to you this solution to the problem they have already postponed payment of this and they're going to spread it over three years which means that you have the authority to do that you're going to get the if this is right you're going to get your money because you're put I'm not going to have a lean on my house I'm not stupid I may not be smart but I'm not stupid okay here's what I propose in this $8,100 there is obviously the money for the gate guard I don't know how much that is but if it's the same as last year it's 5100 I would like you all to approve it pay it well now we're going to pay it in November okay you'll have the money because that's when you pay your taxes I know it goes in March but you want 4% discount okay let's have an audit of this and let's look at the post orders of what these security guards are supposed to do yeah and let's find it out let's delay this thing if it's next year everybody's been paid so nobody no no contractors out there um out of money so I want to make sure I'm understanding it correctly you're saying that $5,100 is for covering no I think it is I don't that was last year's number so this year's number let's say we are going to postpone the payback of the deficit then this num this year's numbers would this year's number because there have been increases in in the rates that the guard the guards charge so this year's number would be $616 so that would be the number that we would need to just cover the current year operating you know the upcoming years's operating expenditures and not recoup any of the amounts of funds that have already been expended um just for for point of note there's only 49 homes in this District so that's why it's a large amount per individual right um so that that's what I'm calculating is a number that would be necessary um in order to cover the expenditures the operating expenditures for this cup coming year a question M if we prated it over a longer period of time M because we know that construction cost something yeah so it's not 20% increase so nothing we can do about that that's so yeah no I mean wages go up wages go up yeah that's what it caus starting to recoup some of the deficit for the construction because we know it costs something and need mean time you can look at uh drill down more on the actual monies that were spent and make sure the work was done can we prate this over a longer period of time and what would you recommend Madam director three and a half years I I recommended the three and a half years that I brought forward to this commission that's my recommendation and honestly I think that that's a long a very lengthy amount of time for the purposes of what it is I understand the the the potential hardship to the individual I I understand that but if the fun the funds were already expended we need to these districts must be self-sufficient the city should not necessarily be fronting the money for that long that being said I can tell you that you know and again we're in AAR accounting so there things that you know this was the based on the information I had at the time it would take that amount in order to get to three and a half by the fourth year I might be able to reduce it um if you want to do it for a longer period of time you tell me how many years you want to you want to direct me to put on the tax bill and that's what I will do if legal tells me that we legally can do that um so again my recommendation was to do it over the three and a half years okay so why don't we start with legal first as to what is permissible so I don't know that we have like a clear um rule on this um these are as as the finance director has these are special taxing districts and these are improvements that were done that's that benefit the property owners it's a special benefit to the property owners within the district so the idea is to reiterate that the city should not be expending its funds or fronting the funds to support these districts rather it should be self-funded because it's the residents the property owners within those distri that decided to impose these assessments upon themselves for the purpose of these improvements so I think the finance director has a plan I think so long as we do have a plan to reimburse the city so to speak right I think we are okay but I think the longer we make that time period the you know the more moving away from that so if I may Diana Quick question Miss gome excuse me um I've been on this commission for some time I haven't seen an incident like this before what is the usual time frame that we provide so for guard simar situations of this magnitude so guard houses we know that when we construct it we always do the construction in advance we usually Rec it within 2 years maybe three so we're potentially yes because it was a large amount and I understand that it's a large amount and it's a very small District as well so there were multiple factors that were put into consideration when you know I thought okay well three and a half may it may have to be four depending on how the results of each year pan out with a normal operations because if there's overruns then it's gets added on I want to I want to take into consideration that we have a budget here in coming up sure we have a few other AD we got to hear so you think that four years is appropriate it's four years it's three and a half 42 months it would be the fourth in the fourth year if everything else worked out I might be able to reduce it a little bit not but in the in after the fourth year then it would be done five years I don't not to my recollection but I I haven't this might be the first one that we do this long no we have we had built a guardhouse you're right you're right in the past but but I don't know when we we took over these districts did we ever build the guard house since we've taken over these in the past there were districts when it was the county we built it for the community and then we build them but we build them over actually probably over one year maybe we gave them two years I don't recall I don't know if we've built any other guard houses since since you've taken so since we've taken it over from the I'm sorry we did Snapper but they self funed yeah so we haven't funded right so this is in essence the first time so um again if it's the will of commission to uh to do that and and uh we can again what we can do whatever I just giving you the considerations and and you need to decide how you want to proceed through them here I I would move to one an audit of what really was happening there and two given the circumstances in which you stated put it through a 5year span MH that's that's where I was heading as was 5 years and and I would appreciate the audit on it too cuz um I did have some personal experience going through there and there was nothing blocking it at first so is that a motion a second that let me just let you know the number before you I mean I think five years I think five years is acceptable and gives you a little more acceptable to the two of us let's be honest we don't have a homeowners and frankly I don't think these three people represent our district but here here here's the point you're going to make a decision and we'll tell people we know or we you'll send it out I guess but I like we will we will send we will send the October audit presented so everyone understands how we got there October we may need more time than that yeah they they need they need some more time probably more than October I'm not sure how much I don't want to speak for Mr W John but we probably need a little more time depending on what exactly the commission wants to bring back so just for the record if we were to do it over five years it would be the the assessment rate would be seven , 285 it's almost a 1,000 almost $1,000 so if you want to yeah exactly so we have a we have a motion in a second um 5 years with an audit that will be provided to all the residents in the neighborhood and so a full-blown audit on the would have to then be build to the to the district so we can give you an accounting of the records internally so why instead of spending more money an audit okay why don't we give him a full accounting if the commission is fin that accounting you can take a look at it digested C so I have reviewed a lot of it already with Mr Winkle John and I understand what the costs were however if that's what the commission wants us to do we will bring you know we can discuss it with the commission or with just the residents I'm not sure think you disc oober I think you can just give me one second I think the commissioner is willing to accept this Mr I'm sorry okay go ahead no no I'm just trying to just trying to get as many things done today as we can go ahead Mr May the only thing I ask yes sir is that somebody reviewed these post orders to see what they were doing that's critical let me let me let me just get to one thing I was going to make a request and see IFK you thank you sir um Miss Gomez what I would like to see is for you to review the documents with your staff through the manager's office um put together a memo that memo will be provided not only to the commission but we also provide it to the residents it will address the cost of construction and like the gentleman just said address the security hours uh and all all the Affiliated um you know man hours in regards to security flag flag bearers uh not bear excuse me flag flagman um for mot and all those kind of additional ancillary costs that came with theot that jumped up so um moving forward we have a fiveyear so yeah so so we're going to set so what number do we want to ass the assessment at do we want to set it at that $7,295 and 39 and again it's I'm just be that would be the 5 years correct that would be the $616 in with the, based on the the O the deficit that we have currently projected yes but that can change right so as we close out this year may be a little bit different so um yes that I I believe based on the information I have today that it would take that payment that addition because remember $616 is just for normal operations and so then I took the the the in theory deficit based on after we finished this fiscal 24 and I added that to that number and that's how I got to the 7285 if we want to you know say okay five years fine y That's fine 5 years you forgot 39 cents yes I was going to actually suggest one we can just reduce it by $1,000 go to $7,100 and then just do the accounting figure it out next year I would be and that's fine that's fine bring that we talked earlier can you bring it in October I don't know if we'll be able to bring it back in October we will do our best to bring it back in oober just I'm asking the commission to give us a little more time and we will let we will keep you posted as to when we will be able to get you know yeah yeah let us and and I and double check when the um flagman went out there because my experience was there was nothing out there at first can we get a motion yes we have a motion we have a second a second Mr clerk one last word Mr Mayor I want thank you Mr Wile John and everyone else and I want to say one thing since we're in Carl gaes we have the best police in the State of Florida blessed we are blessed thank you amen I would like to make one final request that that this method of notify I'm sorry I I should know better I argued in the Appel at court for the federal government and you had to speak into the microphone that that the the notice to the resid send us a letter like you send us don't just do these posted in the newspaper somewhere do you really think I have time to read that I don't I need you I read what you send me I read what you sent me on the flood control so I appreciate thank you for your time thank thank you commissioner Mendez yes vice mayor Anderson yes commissioner Castro yes and that was amended to 7100 yes ma' yes commissioner Fernandez yes mayor loo yes thank you moving on to 13 number 13 is the resolution of the city commission relating to Security Services assessments within the hammock Lake security guard special taxing district providing Authority and definitions confirming the preliminary assessment resolution approving the updated Security Services assessment role providing for the re-imposition of the assessments providing for collection of the assessments pursuant to the uniform assessment collection act providing for the effective effect of this resolution providing severability and an effective date so the total estimated security cost service for this district is $42,000 for fiscal year 2425 there's no change in the proposed methodology there is a uh $1,535 proposed increase in this year's assessment fiscal year 2425 assessment is proposed to increase from $ 4465 to $6,000 per improved lot and from 2232 with 50 cents to $3,000 per approved lot the deficit the the district is currently in a it's a guard house district that is currently in a deficit um and it'll take us a about 2 to three years to recoup the deficit so increases are needed to fund uh provide because there have have been increased in Security Services costs over the Year sorry Mr clerk do you have any public comment no sir I'll take a motion move it second so one one of the common denominators here is that the increase it's increasing security for almost all of them yes okay absolutely right all in favor Haven moving on to 14 14 is a resolution of the city commission relating to Security Services assessments within the Coco Plum Phase 1 security guard special taxiing district providing Authority and definitions confirming the preliminary assessment resolution approving the updated Security Services assessment role providing for the re-imposition of the assessments providing for collection of the assessments pursuing to the uniform assessment collection act providing for the effect of this resolution providing severability and an effective date so the uh total estimated Security Service cost is $55,100 for fiscal year 2425 there's no change in the proposed methodology but there is a $725 increase in the proposed assessment rates the fiscal year 2425 assessment is proposed to increase from $3,000 to 3,000 $725 per improved lot and from $1,500 to 182 6250 per vacant lot um so this uh so the um the increase was was used to fund Security Services um uh incre including security service costs that had um increased over the past year um this this this district is a roving with an extra um District where it has XX fund balances were used to purchase security C cameras that were partition IED by the community and so once it was petitioned we then went and used the excess fund balance reserves for those security cameras okay Mr clerk you have any public comment yes Mr Mayor Mr Juan Galan Mr Gan good afternoon thank you for being with us you all have a lot more patient than I do uh before I go into my subject as many of you know I was a consultant for many years and I don't think that when you took in these Special Districts you recognize which by the way I went and talked to Maran Ramos at the time told him you were accepting a big problem that you really need to have and I realize it's a change in the law but you need to have what I would call a borrowing ability for the special tax isings to borrow from the city for the reason of if we have a major hurricane and let's say something is totally wiped out okay you're then going to be in the hole and the city can borrow money at a rarely reasonable rate and whatever you would charge which I would suggest you would have some kind of addition one or two% above whatever it costs you then you would not be out of pocket like you are in this situation you're in now okay and any other situation in the future so I would say to you that every special tax District should agree if you're going to manage it to having a situation where where they can borrow money from the city this would allow you to reduce reserves potentially even reduce the annual amount which would make you all look good okay and and and that's it's just simple but when you took it over that was never considered and I know that because I went to Miriam and I talked and I said you're inheriting a and you know at the time find they they hired the consultant but nobody's dealt with it okay so free advice for what it's worth appreciate that as far as face one here here's the problem we have a farce going on on the one hand we have a Coco Plum civic association that pretends to act like they're an HOA who are really only supposed to manage the tennis courts and actually in fact and legally they're not permitting the the owners of cocoa plum phase one to use the tennis courts as the Covenant that conveyed the property requires but you know I don't want to get into that but somebody should get into that because what they're doing is not correct okay but what happens is a CCA starts in this case it was one of the members a secretary of the CCA s out an email we're going to improve this we're going to do that but don't worry there's no extra cost right so then the next thing that happens is they do a petition they get to 20 people and then they get up to 67% which is something the city allowed to do but in reality the original uh stdd petition that allowed it to go to 247 never had any provision for an amendment okay the city commission put in an amendment provision for all STDs that require require 67% vote but that was not in any of the original districts that were created so I don't even know frankly where the legality of that is okay because if if if all of us voted to create a special tax District okay and it doesn't have any anything in that wording to allow an amendment how do we come up with an amendment okay the city commission decided to do that but I'm not sure that it's even legal going back to when it was created all right but in this case they came to us and they said there's not going to be an additional cost right now number one I would ask you this you heard the number $555,000 if you had that annual expense in this city as Commissioners how often would you require the city manager to go out to bid and review the $555,000 a year right five years 10 years zero since it started I've been there 30 years okay the special tax district has been there maybe 25 years no bidding process oh well but the people tell us that they like City Coral Gable great but do we look at options no all right and the other question that I have is I don't know been a long time since I did Municipal accounting but I believe that by using coral Gable's police we're increasing the pension problem for the City of Coral Gables because I believe believe that the pensions are based on their salaries for the last 5 years usually most organizations that way so if you use Coral Gable police to provide the additional rowing in Patrol you're actually increasing the problem that you have with the pension system in Coral Gables so as a city I would say to you you want to look at everywhere where you're doing that and you want to question why you're adding to your pension cost when you could use private security islands of Coco Plum is phase two they renamed themselves they use a security service a roing patrol okay I know for a fact because I've talked to them that if we had that okay two benefits one it wouldn't be 555 it might be more like 300 but more importantly they would be backup right away we all know and I respect the police wanting to have a backup before they answer a domestic incident but as we are right now now they have a rowing Patrol which is a private security guard we have a rowing Patrol which is a police department guess what they don't back each other up the police ask for police to come back and back up and but if we had the rowing guard the same security service we would have backup and we would have a quicker response but again nobody looks at that you know we have a situation where the CCA puts out this petition and then when I talk to your contractor says well but we talk to them who you didn't talk to phase one there was 67% of the people in phase one that approved this petition who is he talking to the Coco Plum civic association okay who is nobody all they do is manage a tennis court that they didn't even manage properly so you know I don't the cost doesn't bother me you know I I pulling your money so that's not my issue my issue is bad management okay you went when they put out the letter they said we're going to do we're going to do the cameras we have a reserve right so I've talked to your contractor we used up the reserves for the cameras so guess what now we have a 20% increase that's poor management if I was managing this and I was sitting on your commission I would say every year I want a little bit of an increase just like the 3% that nobody complains about right instead we let it go for four or five years at the same rate next thing that happens I go from 3100 to 3725 away whatever it is 20% increase why because we mismanaged it okay you should have gone up every so much every year because your costs go up every I understand that so that is my biggest problem the other problem I have is is there anything you do here that doesn't have a sunset do you not question things every year I served on the budget Committee in some areas we looked at zero budgeting right what are you going to do next year if we say zero nobody looks at this all right these STDs have been created they are like Perpetual taxes why isn't there a sunset provision that says after 10 years after 15 years we will sunset the special tax district and we will requestion whether we need it or not okay today we have ring cameras we have all kinds of technological things that you use like tag readers but we're still using a rolling Patrol like we were in the you know other century there's no management no appropriate management of the special tax districts okay and I think that needs to change and I I I would recommend 100% that you seriously consider a sunset provision especially for the what I call non-structural special tax districts okay if if I'm paying for a rowing and Patrol that can go away there's no problem now I realize that there's a building you know you have to have some other provision but something needs to happen to make people question what the hell's going on this is not happening all right thank you as always I'll be back with the 15th good to see you U do we have any other other um no Mr Mayor okay I'll entertain a motion I'll move it I'll yeah it doesn't matter doesn't matter who moves it you can move it I'll second and we can look into efficiencies like you're suggesting I have a motion a second all in favor I I thank you thank you Mr I appreciate your words and you being here thank you so much 15 15 is a resolution of the city commission relating to the provision of Street lighting Services facilities and programs within the Coco Plum phase one street lighting special taxing district providing Authority and definitions confirming the preliminary assessment resolution approving the updated Street lighting assessment rule providing for the re-imposition of the street lighting assessments providing for collection of the assessments pursuant to the uniform assessment collection act providing for the effect of this resolution providing severability and an effective date so the total estimated Street lighting service cost is 9 ,650 for fiscal year 20 2425 there's no change in the proposed methodology or rates the fiscal year 20 2425 assessment is $68 25 per uh unit Mr clerk uh Mr Galan has requested to speak on the item another here we go special lighting District which I live in phase one I live in Coco Plum Road Coco Plum Road have beautiful lights but the CCA decided that their area didn't have beautiful lights so they forced us to change our lights and they forced us and the city won the city stopped paying for all these lights and all the repairs and all that and now we have Florida Power and Light okay so you don't have to worry about it I understand that okay and I saluted the people from the city that were smart enough to get my neighbors to be stupid enough to agree to take over the cost okay without reducing the property I understand that okay but here's the problem they lie what did they say it's going to be $400 per year right and the first year is going to be $600 I have my records here the first two years were $86 and now it's going to be $68 now the thing that I don't understand is I think you all need to know that who looks bad the people don't know who your contractor is the people don't know who Diane is who happen to like as an very competent lady okay the city lied right so who looks bad the city cu the letters come from the city so somehow you need to find a way to either send out the right information or force people to live with the numbers that they originally proposed because if they proposed 400 or whatever it is then they can have one less camera or one less speed reader but in our case it's even worse the speeder that are going in are going into Los penos boulevards why because that's where the tennis courts are okay and why because that's where the people that run the CCA the Coco Plum civic association that's where they live okay my road I can guarantee you I bet you $10,000 to $1 okay has the highest speed of anything in cocoa plum because they're all going up the hill right on the accelerator that's why I had the bike path put in that's why I insisted the gate at the end in Coco Plum have a gate so that people don't come through there at 40 miles an hour and run into a lady who's walking their baby okay but you know nobody seems to understand what the difference is between phase one and phase two and then between the people at the Coco Plum civic association who look out for their own interest and don't give a damn about the people on Coco Plum Road okay the speed readers if you're going to put them anywhere should be put where the highest speed is and I know that the city traffic department can confirm that it's Coco Plum Road but where are they putting them on losos Boulevard who lives there the people that run the Coco Plum civic association so here again you look bad because you're not managing this correctly and you're allowing misinformation to go out and then you send those tax bills which we pay for much more money than what they promised it was going to be so that's it Madam director if through the manager's office if you'd send to the commission if you can maybe we can have a conversation or a meeting you can send information I'd like to understand a little bit more about wo was promise I know we're at 800 last year we're at 608 this year I want to understand if were were there I don't need to know about it now cuz we're tied on time was it additional hours in regards to lighting did the did the Tariff go up from I know ifp I know electricity costs went up I just want to understand mostly the construction of putting up the new lights can we expect it to be less than $600 next year and continue dropping like it's dropping right now so eventually it will take another two years of the 608 before we can can consider dropping it based on the information that we have so not a problem I just want to put it on the record and get the information out there because Mr G makes a very good point yes um are there any further comments or any other no Mr Mayor can I obain a motion I'm moving second second go ahead all in favor I I thank you moving on to 16 the final one 16 is a resolution of the city commission relating to Security Services assessments within the gables by the Sea Coral Gable security guard special taxing district providing Authority and definitions confirming the preliminary assessment resolution approving the updated Security Services assessment role providing for the re-imposition of the assessments providing for collection of the assessments pursuing to the uniform assessment collection act providing for the effect of this resolution providing severability and an effective date so the total estimated Security Service cost is $57,000 for fiscal year 2425 there's no change in the proposed methodology there is a $100 increase to the proposed rates the fiscal year 2425 assessment is proposed to increase from 20 $1,250 to $1,350 per improved lot and from $625 to $675 per vacant lot so this is only the second year this district has been transferred to the City of Coral Gables it's a shared district with Pine Crest there were Replacements that were needed um to the gates I believe it was and so um we are increasing it U $100 to make sure that we do not go into a deficit position but again it's only the second year this will be the second year that we're working with this district and it's a shared district with so we should be fine with this one Mr cler do you have any public comment no sir all right I'll entertain a motion move it all in favor I I thank you all right um before we adjourn I just want to say thank you to all the residents who came here and took took time of their day to partake in the process I also want to thank our finance director and her team City attorney wonderful work as always putting this together Mr Winkle John thank you your team you're always very accessible even when we're delivering bad news or good news you're there front and center and I attest to that uh thank you and we will be back at 5:30 to commence our first budget hearing thank you yes