2013.09.05_TC_Minutes_Special TOWN OF HIGHLAND BEACH
MINUTES OF TOWN COMMISSION MEETING
BUDGET PUBIC HEARING
Thursday, September 05, 2013 5 PM
Mayor Bernard Featherman called the Budget Public Hearing to order in Commission
Chambers at 5:01 PM.
CALL TO ORDER:
Roll Call: Members present: Mayor Bernard Featherman; Vice Mayor Ron Brown;
Commissioner Dennis J. Sheridan; Commissioner Louis P. Stern; and Commissioner Carl
Feldman. Also present: Town Attorney Glen Torcvia; Town Manager Kathleen D. Weiser;
Town Clerk Beverly M. Brown; Chief of Police Craig Hartmann; Public Works Director
Jack C. Lee; Library Director Mari Suarez; Finance Director Cale Curtis; Building Office
Manager Carol Holland; Assistant to the Town Manager Zoie Burgess; and members of the
public.
Pledge of Allegiance: The Pledge of Allegiance was given, followed by a minute of
silence in honor of those who lost their lives during the attack against our country on
September 11, 2001.
Civility Pledge: Town Clerk Brown recited the Civility Pledge for the Commission and
public.
1. ADDITIONS, DELETIONS OR ACCEPTANCE OF AGENDA:
• Agenda accepted as presented.
2. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND REOUESTS:
No Public Comments Received.
Town Commission Budget Hearing Minutes
September 5 2013 Page 2 of 6
3. PRESENTATION OF CHANGES TO BUDGET:
A) Summary of Budget Updates:
Town Manager Weiser — For the benefit of the public and those watching this meeting, this
is the last part of the budgeting process for the Town. Staff prepares the budget and
presents it to the Commission. The Commission has held two workshop meetings where
the budget was gone over with a fine tooth comb and all the questions were answered.
These are two public hearings scheduled that are required by state statute prior to the
adoption of the budget.
Finance Director Cale Curtis - I have the full and complete presentation which I have given
you before. However, I have only added one slide and it is an update of what happened
between our last meeting and where we are today. It is the renewal of our General
Liability, Property and Casualty Insurance with the Florida League of Cities. We will be
entering our third year of the Florida League of Cities Insurance Company. It is the Florida
Mutual Insurance Trust providing us coverage and that gives us our first year of eligibility
for the return of premium program they have. Our total cost for coverage is $316,743.
Our return of premium is going to be $41,000 this year. That brings our grand total
premium to $275,674. It is an 8.3 percent decrease year over year. It is a great program
that they are offering. The way it works is if the members of a collected group do not have
large claims, the trust then returns a portion of premiums collected in previous years to the
members. Our portion is $41,000 this year and will be split up between the General Fund
($14,000), Water Fund ($26,000) and Sewer Fund ($1,000). It is based on the amount that
each one of those funds pays into it. That is the only change we have had to the budget,
other than the renovation project which Town Manager Weiser gave us an update on
yesterday. The estimated increase is minor. We don't have any change to the budget
number for that. It is going to remain at $825,000. Mayor Featherman — Was our
insurance coverage the same even though it took a decrease, or did anything change in
that? Finance Director Curtis — Nothing has changed. It is the same coverage. Comm.
Feldman — On Page No. 9, Potential Reductions to the Budget, which of those did we
include, or which ones did we delete, if any? Finance Director Curtis — We have not
included any of those in the budget. These were provided to the Commission as a point of
reference if we wanted to reduce expenses. These were some of the areas we identified as
possibly first to go on the chopping block. Comm. Feldman — What about No. 2, the
Merit Increase? Finance Director Curtis — We did not employ a merit increase reduction in
order to save money. It is one of the measures we provided as a possibility for; but we did
not put it in. Everybody is allotted a five percent increase.
4) PRESENTATION OF BUDGET RESOLUTIONS:
Town Clerk Brown — read Budget Resolutions No 13 -012 R and No. 13 -013 R (title only)
into the record.
Town Commission Budget Hearing Minutes
September 5, 2013 Page 3 of 6
A) RESOLUTION NO. 13 -012 R
A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COMMISSION OF THE TOWN OF
HIGHLAND BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING A FINAL MILLAGE RATE
OF 3.95 MILS FOR THE TOWN'S GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS FOR
THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2013 AND ENDING
SEPTEMBER 30,2014; PROVIDING THAT THE FINAL MILLAGE
RATE OF 3.95 MILS IS 3.36 PERCENT GREATER THAN THE
COMPUTED ROLLED -BACK RATE OF 3.8217 MILS; PROVIDING FOR
SEVERABILITY, CONFLICTS AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
B) RESOLUTION NO. 13 -013 R
A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COMMISSION OF THE TOWN OF
HIGHLAND BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING A FINAL BUDGET FOR
THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2013 AND ENDING
SEPTEMBER 30,2014; DETERMINING AND FIXING THE AMOUNTS
NECESSARY TO CARRY ON THE GOVERNMENT OF THE TOWN FOR
THE ENSUING YEAR; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY, CONFLICTS
AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
5. PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING 2013/2014 FISCAL YEAR BUDGET:
Mayor Featherman — We have heard the Resolutions setting the millage rate and the
final budget read into the record. I formerly open the public hearing. There were no
comments from the public. Mayor Featherman closed the public hearing.
6. COMMISSION QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION:
There were no further questions or discussion from the Commissioners.
7. ADOPTION OF MILLAGE RATE:
A) RESOLUTION NO. 13 -012 R
A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COMMISSION OF THE TOWN OF
HIGHLAND BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING A FINAL MILLAGE RATE
OF 3.95 MILS FOR THE TOWN'S GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS FOR
THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2013 AND ENDING
SEPTEMBER 30,2014; PROVIDING THAT THE FINAL MILLAGE
RATE OF 3.95 MILS IS 3.36 PERCENT GREATER THAN THE
COMPUTED ROLLED -BACK RATE OF 3.8217 MILS; PROVIDING FOR
SEVERABILITY, CONFLICTS AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
Town Commission Budget Hearing Minutes
September 5, 2013 Page 4 of 6
MOTION: Vice Mayor Brown moved to accept Resolution No. 13 -012 R — Adoption of
2013 — 2014 Millage Rate on First Reading. Motion was seconded by Commissioner
Sheridan.
ROLL CALL:
Vice Mayor Brown - Yes
Commissioner Sheridan - Yes
Commissioner Feldman - Yes
Commissioner Stern - Yes
Mayor Featherman - Yes
Motion passed with a 5 to 0 vote.
8. ADOPTION OF 2013 -2014 FISCAL YEAR BUDGET ON FIRST READING
A) RESOLUTION NO. 13 -013 R
A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COMMISSION OF THE TOWN OF
HIGHLAND BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING A FINAL BUDGET FOR THE
FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2013 AND ENDING
SEPTEMBER 30,2014; DETERMINING AND FIXING THE AMOUNTS
NECESSARY TO CARRY ON THE GOVERNMENT OF THE TOWN FOR
THE ENSUING YEAR; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILIYT, CONFLICTS
AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
MOTION: Vice Mayor Brown moved to accept Resolution No. 13 -013 R- Adoption of
2013 -2014 Fiscal Year Budget on First Reading. Motion was seconded by Commission
Stern
ROLL CALL;
Vice Mayor Brown - Yes
Commissioner Stern - Yes
Commissioner Sheridan - Yes
Commissioner Feldman - Yes
Mayor Featherman - Yes
Motion passed with a 5 to 0 vote.
Town Commission Budget Hearing Minutes
September 5, 2013 Page 5 of 6
9. REPORTS — TOWN COMMISSION:
A) Commissioner Stern — For the record, I am in favor of accepting this 2013/2014
Budget. With an increase of property values and other governmental department
adjustments, our personal tax had a decrease of seven dollars. In talking with other
homeowners, I have learned the taxes decreased this year have been in the hundreds. I am
convinced that we have indeed met the goal of a properly balanced budget. Many thanks
to our Finance Director and our Staff for the wonderful work they did. This is also
substantiated each year by the Town's auditing firm, Nolen, Holt and Miner who give the
Town kudos for our annual financial report. With that said, I will miss the next hearing on
the budget but, would like to be on the record that I will probably accept it at that time.
B) Commissioner Feldman — In today's paper there was an article on Delray and
how they were trying to save some money. I hope we never have to take the route that
Delray took. One of the items was that they reduced the employees' benefits by one
percent. It is not a lot of money to the Town, but it is a lot of money to each employee. I
think we are doing a great job by keeping what we are keeping and going forward with the
same system in the future.
C) Commissioner Sheridan — I would like to take this opportunity to thank Cale for
the excellent job in presenting this budget and the many hours you put in, and I am most
appreciative on behalf of the Town for the work that you have done.
D) Vice Mayor Brown — You have done a great job Cale in putting this together.
Town Manager you have done a great job in making sure the department heads came in
with what your goals and the Commission goals are for the budget. To the department
heads, you reached out and cut down to where you could. You all did an outstanding job.
E) Mayor Featherman — I know the taxes will go up approximately three to four
percent from the Palm Beach County. However, we have held the line here in our budget
and I am very pleased that we are doing that at this time because it certainly helps our
residents in the Town. I want to thank our staff for the great job they have been doing up
to now and certainly look forward to a very good year coming up.
10. REPORTS — TOWN ATTORNEY GLEN TORCIVIA:
No Report.
11. REPORTS — TOWN MANAGER KATHLEEN DAILEY WEISER:
No Report.
Town Commission Budget Hearing Minutes
September 5 2013 Page 6 of 6
12. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND REOUESTS:
No Public Comments received.
13. ADJOURNMENT:
There being no further business to come before the Commission, Mayor Featherman
adjourned the Special Budget Public Hearing at 5:17 PM upon a MOTION by
Commissioner Sheridan seconded by Commissioner Stern.
APPROVED:`
Bernard Featherman, Mayor
1.
Ron wn, Vice Mayor
' 4 " 11!1 4 j
Dennis J. Sheri Commissioner
a
Louis P. Ste,!(,, Commissioner
Carl Feldman, Commissioner
ATTEST:
Beverly M. Brown, MMC
Town Cl r
D e