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2019.09.19_TC_Minutes_Special1' TOWN OF HIGHLAND BEACH TOWN COMMISSION SPECIAL/SECOND PUBLIC HEARING BUDGET MINUTES Town Hall / Commission Chambers Date: September 19, 2019 3614 South Ocean Boulevard Time: 5:01 PM Highland Beach, Florida 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Zelniker called the meeting to order at 5:01 p.m. 2. PRESENT UPON ROLL CALL Mayor Rhoda Zelniker Vice Mayor Greg Babij Commissioner Evalyn David Commissioner Barry Donaldson Commissioner Peggy Gossett -Seidman Town Attorney Glen Torcivia Town Manager Marshall Labadie Town Clerk Lanelda Gaskins 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Town Commission led the Pledge of Allegiance. 4. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA Motion to approve the agenda was passed unanimously. 5. CIVILITY PLEDGE Town Clerk Gaskins read the Pledge of Civility into the record. We will be respectful of one another even when we disagree We will direct all comments to the issue We will avoid personal attacks Politeness costs so little." By: Abraham Lincoln 6. PRESENTATION A. None Town Commission Special/ Second Public Hearing Budget Minutes Date: September 19, 2019 Page 2 of 5 7. SECOND READINGS/PUBLIC HEARINGS: A. RESOLUTION NO. 19-021 R / ADOPTING A FINAL MILLAGE RATE A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COMMISSION OF THE TOWN OF HIGHLAND BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING A FINAL MILLAGE RATE OF 3.2294 MILLS FOR THE TOWN'S GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2019 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30,2020; PROVIDING THAT THE FINAL MILLAGE RATE OF 3.2294 MILLS IS 7.70 PERCENT GREATER THAN THE COMPUTED ROLLED BACK RATE OF 2.9984 MILLS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY, CONFLICTS AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE. Mayor Zelniker read the following statement into the record: THE PROPOSED OPERATING MILLAGE RATE SET BY THE TOWN COMMISSION OF THE TOWN OF HIGHLAND BEACH ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2019 WAS 3.2294 MILLS AND THE VOTED DEBT SERVICE MILLAGE WAS SET AT 0.5703 MILLS, FOR A TOTAL MILLAGE RATE OF 3.7997 MILLS, WHICH IS ESTIMATED TO GENERATE GENERAL FUND NET REVENUES OF NINE MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-ONE THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS ($9,521,775.00). THIS OPERATING MILLAGE RATE REPRESENTS A 7.70% INCREASE OVER THE ROLLED - BACK RATE OF 2.9984 MILLS." Mayor Zelniker Opened the Public Hearing. John Ross of Casuarina wanted to know if the Budget included the Debt Service for the Water Plant. He also wanted to know if it was a fixed rate loan and wanted further clarification on whether the debt would be the same as last year. Finance Director Lalla stated that there were five loans that had all been issued and associated with the Water Plant. Four of which were from SRF and a promissory note with Bank of American that was done in 2007. All were fixed rate issued. In comparison to 2019, the debt is relatively the same. Mayor Zelniker Closed the Public Hearing. Commissioner David stated that she thought the resolution should be passed as it had been discussed. Commissioner Donaldson stated that he is actually quite happy with where things are at this point. He stated he thought they had gone through the perfect public workshops and had gone through quite a bit of a self-analysis on this themselves and thought the best thing that is going to help going forward, is part of the budget that contains the Financial Implementation Tools. He said he believed it is going to help to take an even better strategic long-term effect on the Town going forward. He advised he had no further comments or questions. Town Commission Special/ Second Public Hearing Budget Minutes Date: September 19, 2019 Paae 3 of 5 Commissioner Gosset -Seidman stated that she had gone along with things in the past and sometimes did not dig deep into things like she should have. After speaking with the residents, residents of course did not want taxes hiked. Of course, they do not want to pay more money. She stated she researched public records, on the Property Appraisers Public Record Site and select properties in town, on every street, and at every level. Condos, townhouses, big town houses, and single-family homes. (Town Clerk passed out the handout provided by Commissioner Gosset - Seidman) She advised that the handout was a sampling of how properties will be affected by the raise in the millage rate and that most properties go up way more than $50 in taxes. Vice Major Babij stated that he appreciated all Commissioner Gosset-Seidmans hard work, and that she always seemed to come up with a research project that he would never had thought of. He thanked her for taking the time to do it. He stated that he did not even realize some of the numbers. He said that the Commission was definitely a little bit divided on what the right thing to do was for the millage rate, but he is happy that they were able to come to some sort of agreement. Commissioner David stated she wanted to know if the figures presented represented just the Highland Beach portion of the taxes or the total taxes including the County as well. Commissioner Gosset -Seidman Further explained that the documents she handed out were screenshots from the Property Appraisers that residents are receiving in the mail. She said she wanted to show the screenshots because she thought it was the most valid and professional way to show everyone rather than retype the information. The information provided is public record, which she retrieved from googling the addresses. Finance Director Lalla stated he wanted to add clarification that the information on the Property Appraisers Website did not reflect the rate that is before everyone today. That it was the rate that was not to exceed millage included in the Trim Notices and that was the rate adopted by the Town Commission on July 23rd, which is considerably higher, about two tenths of a mill higher that reflected a rate of an increase of 0.3337 mills. And that that is what is included on the Property Appraisers Website and the tentative millage increase approved by the Commission at the lead at the First Public Hearing was .0807. He advised all was looking at several tenths of the mill 0.25 and that the difference was a sizable difference. Major Zelniker stated that she had been on the commission for close to six years, in March. For four years, the millage rate had been lowered. She said the Town could not keep lowering the millage rate because when town prices go up; everything else is going up. She stated that she takes some of the responsibility for lowering the millage rate for four years in a row. It was a mistake because eventually prices have to go up. The town people want services such as the Library and the Post Office and maybe in the future the Town can look into cutting the Post Office in the summer. The Town does not want to cut services such as the Fire Department, because they make people feel safe. She said that the Coastal Star wrote in an article that this is a very minimal tax increase. It came back to us and we had to do this. She said, she feels for the safety of the Town to provide the services that people want in the Town. Town Commission Special/ Second Public Hearing Budget Minutes Date: September 19, 2019 Page 4 of 5 MOTION: Commissioner David moved to adopt Resolution NO. 19-021 R / Adopting a Final Millage Rate. Commissioner Donaldson seconded the motion. UPON ROLL CALL: Commissioner Evalyn David Yes Commissioner Barry Donaldson Yes Commissioner Gossett -Seidman No Vice Mayor Greg Babij No Mayor Rhoda Zelniker Yes Motion carried 3 to 2 with Commissioner Gossett -Seidman and Vice Mayor Babij dissenting. B. RESOLUTION NO. 19-022 R / ADOPTING A FINAL BUDGET A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COMMISSION OF THE TOWN OF HIGHLAND BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING A FINAL BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2019 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2020; 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. Finance Director Lalla advised that the resolution is approving the Budget in total and also having to approve the millage so that it will be known what portion of the Budget is supported by that Ad Valorem taxes. There will be a vote on the entirety of the Budget including the General Fund the Special Revenue Funds and Enterprises. Mayor Zelniker Opened the Public Hearing. John Ross of Casuarina addressed the Town Manager asking to what extent can money be moved from one account to another and are line items set in stone? Town Manager Labadie advised that within a department, funds can be moved, but could not be moved from department to department without a budget amendment that would be approved by the Commission. This act maintains budget imbalance. Mayor Zelniker closed the Public Hearing and there were no comments for discussion. MOTION: Commissioner David moved to adopt Resolution NO. 19-022 R / Adopting a Final Budget. Commissioner Donaldson seconded the motion. Town Commission Special/ Second Public Hearing Budget Minutes Date: Sentember 19.2019 UPON ROLL CALL: Commissioner Evalyn David Yes Commissioner Barry Donaldson Yes Commissioner Gossett -Seidman No Vice Mayor Greg Babij Yes Mayor Rhoda Zelniker Yes Motion carried 4 to 1 with Commissioner Gossett -Seidman dissenting. C. TOWN MANAGER REPORTS PaLie 5 of 5 Town Manager Labadie advised that the budget had officially been adopted and in place to start the next Fiscal Year on October 1St. The next big step is to close out all the accounts and get all the final journal entries, so there can be closure for the books for the current fiscal year and then be able to present some closure data, hopefully, within 60 to 90 days; once all the last bender closeouts. Finance Director Lalla stated that at some point, probably in the month of November, there will be a Budget Resolution, a sort of cleanup of the current year budget Fiscal Year 19 to allocate and cover shortfalls and use savings from other departments to balance out reflect fully balanced budget at year end. D. COMMISSION MEETINGS: E. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business Mayor Zelniker called for a motion to adjourn the meeting at 5:31 p.m. APPROVED at October 159 2019 Regular Meeting. ATTEST: La elda Gaskins, MMC, Town Clerk Rhod Zelniker,tyyr Transcribed by Ganelle Thompson 4, 1 / 5 Date