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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 1998-06-30 MinutesCITY OF MIAMI � `: INGORW'ORA7ED COMMISSION MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON June 30, 1998 (Special) PREPARED BY THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK/CITY HALL Walter J. Foeman/City Clerk ITEM NO. INDEX MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING JUNE 3091998 SUBJECT LEGISLATION I , BRIEF COMMENTS REGARDING ORDER OF THE DAY. 6/30/98 DISCUSSION 2, (A) DISCUSS PROPOSED FIVE YEAR PLAN FOR FISCAL 6/30/98 YEAR 1999 THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 2003. R 98-659 (B) COMMENTS CALLING FOR NO FURTHER FEE R 98-660 INCREASES AND STRESSING NED FOR MICRO- 2-55 MANAGEMENT. (C) COMMENTS CONCERNING NEED FOR DEPARTMENTAL ACCOUNTABILITY CITYWIDE. (D) RESCHEDULE PUBLIC HEARING OF JULY 28, 1998 TO DISCUSS WHETHER TO GRANT OR DENY CABLE TELEVISION LICENSE/FRANCHISE RENEWAL TO MIAMI TCI TO MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 22, 1998 - SCHEDULE CABLE TELEVISION WORKSHOP FOR JULY 8, 1998. (E) LEASE REVENUES: DISCUSSION CONCERNING PROPOSAL FOR ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX IN WATSON ISLAND. (F) CONTINUE DISCUSSION OF PROPOSED CHANGES TO FIVE YEAR PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 1999 THROUGH 2O03. (G) DISCUSS PLAN NEEDED FOR YEAR 2000 CONVERSION, AS IT PERTAINS TO COMPUTER, ELEVATORS, TIME CLOCKS, ETC. (H) DISCUSS NEED FOR PARKS IN LITTLE HAITI AREA - DIRECT ADMINISTRATION TO FIND MORE CREATIVE WAYS TO MAINTAIN POLICE PRESENCE AND SUPERVISION IN PARKS, SPECIFICALLY IN BUENA VISTA PARK AND WEST GROVE PARK AREAS. (1) DISCUSS POLICE AND FIRE -RESCUE BUDGET INCREASES - FURTHER DISCUSSING COST OF POLICE OVERTIME AND THE NUMBER OF UNMARKED POLICE CARS. (J) DISCUSSION REGARDING SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD BONDS FOR PARKS - DIRECT MANAGER TO PURSUE FUNDS FROM SAID BOND PROGRAM TO MAKE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, AS MORE FULLY OUTLINED WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION RULES OF THE MIAMI-DADE SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS PARK BONDS OFFICE. (K) REPORT CONCERNING MONEY -MAKING PROGRESS OF CITY POOLS. (L) DISCUSS COST OF SOLID WASTE FUNCTION TO GENERAL FUND. (M) FURTHER COMMENTS ON NEED TO IDENTIFY AND PREVENT NON -PERMITTED RECYCLING COMPANIES FORM WORKING IN THE CITY. (N) DIRECT ADMINISTRATION TO AGGRESSIVELY PURSUE UNCOLLECTED REVENUES FROM CODE VIOLATIONS. (0) COMMENTS REGARDING REVENUE PROJECTIONS/OVER PROJECTIONS. (P) DIRECT ADMINISTRATION TO ENFORCE LOT CLEARING ORDINANCE. (Q) COMMENTS CONCERNING NEED FOR ADDITIONAL 150 PUBLIC SERVICE AIDES. (R) COMMENTS CONCERNING NEED FOR ADDITIONAL 150 PUBLIC SERVICE AIDES. (S) CONTINUED DISCUSSION CONCERNING COST OF POLICE OVERTIME TO GENERAL FUND - FURTHER SUGGESTING USING FUNDS COLLECTED FROM FINES OF IMPOUNDED VEHICLES TO COVER OVERTIME COST - DIRECT ADMINISTRATION TO INCLUDE PIE CHARTS THAT SHOW HISTORICAL BUDGETARY INCREASES TO THE DEPARTMENTS OF POLICE AND FIRE. (T) DIRECT CITY ATTORNEY / ADMINISTRATION TO RESEARCH EXCLUDING RESIDENTIAL CONDOMINIUMS AND CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATIONS IN THE ASSESSMENT OF SUPPLEMENTAL WASTE FEES - RETURN TO CITY COMMISSION MEETING OF JULY 21, 1998 WITH ORDINANCE TO AMEND CODE AND CLARIFY DEFINITION OF CONDOMINIUMS AS NOT COMMERCIAL - FURTHER DIRECT ADMINISTRATION TO INFORM TORY JACOBS OF ISSUE BEING RESCHEDULED FOR JULY 21, 1998 COMMISSION MEETING. (U) COMMENTS CONCERNING NEED FOR BUDGET CLEANUP EFFORTS. i/ii INSTRUCT ADMINISTRATION TO CUT POLICE OVERTIME BY 50 PERCENT. i/iii CONTINUED COMMENTS ON NEED FOR ACCOUNTABILITY IN GOVERNMENT AND FOR MICRO - MANAGEMENT. iv COMMENTS CONCERNING NEED FOR CONSULTANT TO EVALUATE STAFFING OF ADMINISTRATION IN DEPARTMENTS OF POLICE AND FIRE -RESCUE. v COMMENTS CONCERNING NEED TO REORGANIZE AND REDUCE NUMBER OF NET OFFICES. vi COMMENTS REGARDING LACK OF PROFESSIONAL ADMINISTRATION IN THE PAST. (V) DISCUSSION CONCERNING BUDGET FOR OFFICES OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSIONERS. i CHECKS AND BALANCES. ii NEED FOR LEGISLATIVE BUDGE OFFICE AND SYSTEMS TO MONITOR GOVERNMENT. iii COMMENTS CONCERNING HOME AND COMMERCIAL INSPECTIONS CONDUCTED IN PREVIOUS YEARS BY FIRE - RESCUE DEPARTMENT. iv DIRECT CITY CLERK TO PROVIDE COMMISSIONERS WITH RESOLUTION REFEREEING TO NET OFFICES. v COMMENTS CONCERNING REIMBURSEMENT TO COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY FOR SALE OF LAND UNDER MIAMI ARENA. vi DISCUSS NEED TO HIRE FINANCE DIRECTOR AND INTERNAL AUDITOR - FURTHER COMMENTS REGARDING NEED TO FILL MID -MANAGEMENT POSITIONS. vii COMMENTS ON NEED FOR CITY DEPARTMENTS TO BE MORE BUSINESS FRIENDLY. (W) CONTINUED DISCUSSION ON NEED FOR ACCOUNTABILITY IN GOVERNMENT. i NEED FOR LEGISLATIVE BUDGET OFFICER, MORE PERSONNEL WITH FINANCIAL ABILITY (INCLUDING ACCOUNTANTS AND BUDGETARY ANALYSTS), AND SYSTEMS ABILITY TO ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY, AND PROPER CHECKS AND BALANCES. ii COMMENTS CONCERNING HOME AND COMMERCIAL INSPECTIONS CONDUCTED IN PREVIOUS YEARS BY FIRE - RESCUE DEPARTMENT. iii DIRECT CITY CLERK TO PROVIDE COMMISSIONERS WITH RESOLUTION DIRECTING MANAGER TO PRIORITIZE REVIEWING STAFFING NEEDS FOR NET OFFICES. iv COMMENTS CONCERNING REIMBURSEMENT TO COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY FOR SALE OF LAND UNDER MIAMI ARENA. v DISCUSS NEED TO HIRE FINANCE DIRECTOR AND INTERNAL AUDITOR - FURTHER COMMENTS REGARDING NEED TO FILL MIDDLE MANAGEMENT POSITIONS. vi COMMENTS ON NEED FOR CITY DEPARTMENTS TO BE MORE "BUSINESS FRIENDLY." vii COMMENTS REGARDING SOLID WASTE MAILING COSTS FOR SENDING OUT BILLS. 3. COMMENTS BY COMMISSIONER TEELE CONCERNING 6/30/98 CLOSING OUT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK DISCUSSION GRANTS. 55-56 MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF MIAMI, FLORIDA On the 30th day of June, 1998, the City Commission of Miami, Florida, met at its regular meeting place in the City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida in regular session. The meeting was called to order at 10:08 a.m. by Commissioner J.L. Plummer, Jr. (hereinafter referred to as Vice Chairman Plummer), with the following members of the Commission found to be present: ALSO PRESENT: Commissioner J.L. Plummer, Jr. (District 2) Commissioner Joe Sanchez (District 3) Commissioner Tomas Regalado ( District 4) ABSENT: Commissioner Wifredo Gort (District 1) Commissioner Arthur E. Teele, Jr. (District 5) Donald Warshaw, Acting City Manager Alejandro Vilarello, City Attorney Walter J. Foeman, City Clerk Maria J. Argudin, Assistant City Clerk An invocation was delivered by Mayor Joe Carollo, who then led those present in a pledge of allegiance to the flag. 1. BRIEF COMMENTS REGARDING ORDER OF THE DAY. Vice Chairman Plummer: We can go ahead and start. Everybody please stand. All right. This meeting's adjourned. Oh, Nick just came in. Nice to have you here. Mr. Combo, how would you like to proceed, keeping in mind that two of our colleagues are absent. I would assume, Mr. Dipak... Mr. Dipak Parehk (Budget and Management Director): Yes, sir. Vice Chairman Plummer: ... that each Commissioner would have the opportunity to beat up on you as to their thoughts of why you've not done the budget correctly, and I would assume that that's probably a good way to start, if that's how you guys want to do it? You tell me what you want to do. Commissioner Sanchez: That's fine. Commissioner Regalado: I beat up on him the last time. Vice Chairman Plummer: All right. Joe, you want to ... oh, oh. Joe, you want to make your ... all right, hold on. Mr. Combo would like to... June 30, 1998 2 June 30, 1998 Chief Donald Warshaw (Acting City Manager): Commissioner, just as follow-up to our last meeting on the budget, since that time ... as a matter of fact, yesterday the Estimating Conference approved the Five Year Plan, which will now go on to the Oversight Board. We've made the changes, specifically, in the core initiatives that you asked at the last meeting and will be prepared to respond to any questions, understanding, again, that, as I met with some of you privately, that the Five -Year Plan Budget can be amended as we move forward and I'm committed to looking at additional initiatives specifically for the out years as we go forward. But Dipak will respond to questions. Nothing has changed in the Five -Year Plan that you have in front of you, with the exception of those core initiatives, as well as in the last section, the Management and Productivity Initiatives that you see in the last tab of the FivaYear Plan book. Vice Chairman Plummer: Well, let me ask a question. I don't know why you went yesterday and got an approval. If, in fact, that was an approval, what are we doing here today? Because I want to tell you ... I've already indicated to Dipak that there are any number of changes that I feel that have got to be made in this budget for my vote and so you can take it from there. But I don't know why you went yesterday, prior to this Commission taking a final action so ... Dipak. Mr. Dipak Parekh (Budget and Management Director): Commissioner, the process is that for number accuracy, as well as viability, it has to go before the Estimating Conference and, then, it comes back to the City Commission and then it's on its way over to the Oversight Board. If there are any changes here, today, obviously we'll have to go back to the Estimating Conference on those numbers and then go back to the Oversight Board. [NOTE FOR THE RECORD: COMMISSIONER GORT ENTERED THE MEETING AT 10:10 A.M.] Vice Chairman Plummer: Okay. For my positive vote today, there's going to be some major changes, so ... I mean, you take it from there. Mr. Gort, what we had basically decided, waiting for you and for Mr. Teele, is to let each Commissioner speak individually as to what he thinks and then we can go into a final goround. Joe, you want to make some points or you need... June 30, 1998 Commissioner Sanchez: Yes, I'll go ahead and start. Mr. Dipak, good morning. Mr. Parekh: Good morning, sir. Commissioner Sanchez: I have some concerns over the budget and one of them is, reviewing, I find that in the first year of 1999... this is something you stated in all previous meetings ... we did not have any fees concerning that. Now, my concern is ... and you have already gone and gotten the approval from the Oversight Board on this budget. My thing was that making it... Vice Chairman Plummer: No, no, no, no. Mr. Parekh: For estimating cost. Vice Chairman Plummer: For estimating, no ... see, that's my point. What they got yesterday was from Estimating, which is not the Oversight Board. Estimating do to review and the basic work for the Oversight. And to go yesterday and get that approval is why I made the question, so... Commissioner Sanchez: Well, and that's why I have a lot of concerns on that because I feel that, you know, what he thought was right, to his best judgment, is going to open up can of worms here with us and when I refer to that, I'm talking about the commitment that he made or the idea, the proposal, whatever you want to call it, committing the doubling of the fee in the year 1999 and that my concern is that, if we...if we presented it and it would have failed, it would have put us in the reenactment of the last time that we were here as Commissioners and it was ... everybody was either for or against doubling the fees. That's my concern right there. On that matter is ... you know, we really need to look at this government from a micro -management type of deal. And what I ask you is to basically look at ... look at the operatirns and the departments. See if we could basically tighten up our belts a little bit and not have to go back out and have the tax payers of Miami pick up the tab for the mistakes that they did not commit. Okay. I think, if we look at the departments, if we look at the operations and we tighten up our belts a little bit, then we won't be forced to go out and implement fees or whatever we need to do. That is my concern now. And I'm sure everybody watching TV is saying, why am I going to have to pay in the year 1999, double my fees and ... or raise my trash when it's me comparing going shopping with my credit card, over billing it and then telling the City, hey, you have to pay for it. That's just one. And I really would like for you to look at that and conduct a micro -government to see where we could address and save money. If we need to go outside and hire consultant, we need to do that. But the tax payers of this City are fed up with taxes. They're fed up with ... with the fees going up. And, you know, my colleagues could hear ... could tell you the complaints that we get in our office just with the Fire fee, just with the Fire fee, the complaints that we get. The other thing that I would like for you to do is, I think that we need to look at this government as a business, not as a government, okay. One of the things that I would like to see is to hold people accountable in their departments. We need to be able to point the finger at somebody when somebody makes a mistake and that's just the bottom line. And when we start doing that is when we'll get the ball rolling here and start improving things. That's one of my concerns. Now, I have a couple of questions concerning the...I wrote some notes because ... I mean, I... [NOTE FOR THE RECORD: COMMISSIONER TEELE ENTERED THE MEETING AT 10:13 A.M.] Vice Chairman Plummer: While you're looking for that, Commissioner Teele, what we've decided was is waiting for everybody that —each Commissioner would have the right to question the Budget Department, then we'll do it in total of the group. Commissioner Teele: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Commissioner Sanchez: What is our deficit now on the budget exactly? Because I couldn't figure it out. What is it today? As of today, how much is that? Mr. Parekh: For this fiscal year? Commissioner Sanchez: Yes. 4 June 30, 1998 Mr. Parekh: I don't think ... we're hoping to end this fiscal year with a slight surplus, excluding the proceeds of the FEC (Florida East Coast) and amount of reserves held against it at around three million dollars ($3,000,000). Commissioner Sanchez: Okay. Now, let me ask you, has ... has anybody looked into the user fees? Mr. Parekh: No, sir. Nobody has looked into it for about a decade or so. Commissioner Sanchez: And how about the property appraisal, the PAD (Property Adjustment Committee), I believe. Mr. Parekh: The PAC Board? Commissioner Sanchez: Yeah, the PAC Board. Mr. Parekh: This is, again, an issue which also came up at the last City Commission meeting. I ... in my opinion, we tend to lose approximately 150 to 200 million dollars ($200,000,000) annually and, obviously, the impact of that is not only on that fiscal year but henceforth down into the future. Vice Chairman Plummer: But that's assessments, not taxes to us? Mr. Parekh: That's on assessments. Well, that has ramification in property taxes, obviously, for that fiscal year hence forward. Vice Chairman Plummer: The one ... hundred fifty million dollars ($150,000,000) is, in fact, total assessment on the low. Mr. Parekh: Right. Vice Chairman Plummer: Where it should be higher on state statute? Mr. Parekh: Yes, sir. Vice Chairman Plummer: OK. Mr. Parekh: That's based upon the assessments we get for that fiscal year. This is ... what I'm trying to say is that this has no relationship in terms of what the assessment should be. We get the preliminary role on July the lst and, of course, thereafter, especially commercial entities will go before the Property Adjustment Board to have a lower assessment. And, obviously, that's the impact which we are talking about. So there are two issues with reference to property appraisal. One is, that the assessments are not a hundred percent per state law and secondly, that, even on top of that, the Property Adjustment Board, with a special master hearing them, lowers the assessment for that fiscal year. Commissioner Sanchez: How much money of that can we come up with if we really put our resources to obtaining that money? Mr. Parekh: I see it as a good business decision to have some staff from the City who are trained in appraisals to sit before the special masters. I think...I think the rate of return, just on that, which we tried out about seven/eight years ago, is going to easily pay for the staff as well as add a couple of million dollars ($2,000,000) to the conference to the City of Miami. Vice Chairman Plummer: Let me give you, if I may. When he was talking about we did it in a six month period or seven month period, we were able to pick up from the appraisal almost two million in taxes, not in appraisals. They ... the state statutes today call for a hundred percent. People will tell you across the board it averages, in reality, about 68 percent. I have found out ... and I spoke about it at the last meeting... there are companies that you can hire now to go in and do that research work for you and whether we do it from staff June 30, 1998 or whether we do it from a company, I'm telling you that, when you stop and think that one third of our accessible tax basis is tax exempt, that you could really be raking in the dollars otherwise, in my opinion, and they are recurring revenues. Ms. Dena Bianchino (Director of Asset Management): If I may, I'd like to just add some information from Dipak. Commissioners have expressed concern... Vice Chairman Plummer: We'll do it if you'll tell us who you are. Ms. Dena: Dena Bianchino, Director of Asset Management. The Florida Statute, which governs taxation, lists the number of things that must be considered in evaluation of property. Properties around the state are assessed normally at 85 percent. That is what is acceptable to the Department of Revenue. The issue of whether they should be 85 percent or a hundred percent is a state issue and we would recommend that the Law Department or someone we can proceed with this start talking to the state because their own statute allows for less than a hundred percent of value. And they ... the Department of Revenue told us that they would normally accept ... they don't question any assessment that's 85 percent of value or higher, so that's a state policy. That's one of the problems. The other problem is ... and I wanted to make you aware that, I know that you've talked before about properties that have been sold at very high rates and their assessments haven't been changed. The problem is that it takes a year for the assessments to change, so the one particular property that we've all been eluding to was sold in 1977...1997 and4hat would appear on this year's tax rolls. Now, what we would do, when we see what their new assessment is, if we don't think it's ... ifs accurate, we can supply information to the Property Appraisers Office and work with him to raise the assessment on that building and, in fact, we are flagging, as we go through these taxes, those which we feel are not appropriate. It's a complex... Vice Chairman Plummer: You have anybody in your office who reads the Daily Business Review every day? Ms. Bianchino: No, but I'm going to be doing that. Vice Chairman Plummer: Well, let me tell you something, I read it every day, okay, for other reasons primarily but then, when I'm finished doing my regular business, I go back and I look at the properties that are sold and the properties that have been... whatever. Dena, it's not even close. I mean, the assessments, they're not even close. Ms. Bianchino: Let me just tell you a few other problems. We met with Property Tax Assessor and the problem is, quite frankly, that they don't have enough staff. So they will target an area ... for example, this year they're going to target Brickell because there's been so much development going on there. They don't have the staff to go out and look at every single property in the City of Miami. That is why we agreed to work with them, providing them with all kinds of information on building permits, CO's (Certificate of Occupancy), so they will know when a building is on-line and ready to be retaxed, we also have the ability and they have their thrill to work with us, for us to go to them and tell them that we think something's under assessed. We cannot ... we're not a party to a value adjustment hearing that is not ... the City cannot be a party. We can, however, go to the Value before, when the property is slated for a value adjustment hearing, we can go to the tax assessor and submit our... Vice Chairman Plummer: I was told that other cities do. Ms. Bianchino: We can do that and we've started a policy whereby we're going to do that, based on all that we've been hearing from the Commission over the past six months. I just think it's very complicated and there are a few things we could do, which I could bring back to the Commission. As an example, a certain property appraiser in Miami used to produce a ... an Annual Office Survey Report, which talked about rental rate and things like that, which really helps the assessor. I think, for a small amount of money, we could produce that report, which would immeasurably help the tax assessor. We also have talked to a person who works for governments. Like you just mentioned, in the whole tax issue and what we would recommend is to do a small contract, under forty-five hundred dollars ($4500), with someone like him or who has a lot of government experience to try to actually define how we should attack this problem. June 30, 1998 Vice Chairman Plummer: Well, the man that I mentioned is not available. He's no longer in Dade County. He's doing ... he has business that does this in Tampa. Ms. Bianchino: I would love to... Vice Chairman Plummer: So he's not looking for any job or anything but, as a matter of courtesy, called me and told me how many millions of dollars we were losing by not pursuing. Ms. Bianchino: I just want to make one other comment. I do ... I do attend the Value Adjustment hearings and all these big office owners hire hired guns, so to speak, that go out there and concentrate on trying to get these taxes lowered and they do it every single year. This is isn't a once in a 10•year period. They do it every single year. So they're out there. Believe it or not, the tax assessor's on our side. I think... Vice Chairman Plummer: Sometimes we wonder. Ms. Bianchino: Well, it is questionable sometimes but we ... I think we've kind of come up with a plan that deal with this issue and we're well aware of the problems that exist. Vice Chairman Plummer: Mr. Sanchez, you have anything else you want to... Commissioner Sanchez: No, Vice Chairman. Thanks. Vice Chairman Plummer: Mr. Regalado, you had asked to be heard? Commissioner Regalado: Yes. Thank you, very much. Since we're talking about revenues, I think that there's something that the Mayor, the Commission, and the Manager should analyze and this is that, I remember that we changed the date of the last Commission meeting in July. The situation now that we're facing is that we have a workshop on the Cable TV franchise on July the 8th...I understand that TCI (Telecommunications Inc.) needs to bring to the City by July the 1 Oth, if they want to do an agreement, and I was told by Mr. Leibowitz that it would be very difficult to meet the deadline of the events, meeting of the City Commission. And since we are on vacation in August, at least the meeting, there's no meeting of the City Commission, I was ... I'm trying to make the Administration aware that we have a little bit of a problem in terms of the new contract. Vice Chairman Plummer: September is fine. Commissioner Regalado: Well, may be fine but I'm just... Vice Chairman Plummer: They're still paying us monthly. As I said before, I think before you got here ... you know, let me tell you, these people, I don't know where they're coming from. They take away three of my channels, Channel 33, 34 and 35 and raise my rates. Commissioner Regalado: That's right. Vice Chairman Plummer: Now, you think I'm going to look happy about that? Because, as far as I'm concerned, that dog won't hunt. Commissioner Regalado: Well, no ... nobody is. But the question ... the question is, from the legal point of view, do we need to give them another extension or what do we need to do for them to come back in September, if this is the case? Vice Chairman Plummer: As far as I'm concerned, get rid of them. Commissioner Regalado: Yeah. Well, that's what I'm saying that, if we can address that issue, how can we do it? Can we address it on the last July meeting? 7 June 30, 1998 Mr. Alejandro Vilarello (City Attorney): Commissioner, you ... the City Commission passed a resolution saying that they would hear this matter on July ... on July 28th. That TCI would submit a formal proposal on July 1 Oth. Mr. Leibowitz is unable to analyze that proposal and get back to you on July 21 st, which is one you've now scheduled that meeting for. So the next time that's available to both Mr. Leibowitz and this Commission is the end of Ahe second meeting in September. If it is within the discretion to hear this matter September 22nd, we would simply notify them that that would be the date that they would be heard. Vice Chairman Plummer: The 21st? Mr. Vilarello: Well, the ... the staff is unable to provide you with an analysis ofTCI's response by July 21st. Vice Chairman Plummer: Why? It's 11 days. Mr. Vilarello: It's insufficient amount of time. Vice Chairman Plummer: Then we need new staff. I mean, either they can perform or they can't. Mr. Vilarello: What you're asking the ... Mr. Leibowitz to do is receive the proposal on July IOth and, within five days, prepare an analysis and presentation so that we can meet the five-day rule for the City Commission by the 21 st. Vice Chairman Plummer: What about if we waive the five-day rule? Mr. Vilarello: I've been advised by Mr. Leibowitz they cannot complete the analysis in... Vice Chairman Plummer: You know, we're paying Mr. Leibowitz two hundred and thirty-five thousand dollars ($235,000) and, you know, when I'm paying that kind of money, I really don't have any big problem of asking the Memorial weekend. Mr. Teele. Commissioner Teele: I don't disagree with you but the ... 1 don't think we should analyze this from the fees we're paying the consultant but the amount of controversy. This is a hundred million dollar ($100,000,000) type of transaction and I think 11 days is not sufficient time ... from a point of view of everybody really being knowledgeable. I don't have a strong feeling about the TCI one way or the other. I am very, very concerned with the issues that you've allocate ... that you've addressed and that is, they appear to be cutting back for no reason at all. It doesn't cost them any more money to provide the cable and yet they're raising rates. It appears that they may be ... they may be gorging the public. I would much rather be in a position to act reasonably and responsibly because, you can bet your bottom dollar, that if we were to eliminate or cancel or provide another alternative franchiser, there would be litigation and I'd like to be in the strongest possible position... Vice Chairman Plummer: How about September? Commissioner Teele: I would second Commissioner Regalado's motion, changing the date from July 28th to September... Mr. Vilarello: Twenty-second. Commissioner Teele ... 22nd. Vice Chairman Plummer: September 22nd. There's a motion on the floor. Commissioner Teele: I second. Vice Chairman Plummer: All in favor, say "aye." Any opposition show? Show unanimous ballot. The Commission (Collectively): Aye. June 30, 1998 The following resolution was introduced by Commissioner Regalado, who moved its adoption: RESOLUTION NO. 98-659 A RESOLUTION RESCHEDULING TO SEPTEMBER 22, 1998, THE PUBLIC HEARING PREVIOUSLY SET FOR JULY 28, 1998, TO DETERMINE WHETHER TO GRANT OR DENY CABLE TELEVISION LICENSEIFRANCHISE RENEWAL TO MIAMI TCI AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ADVERTISE NOTICE OF THE PUBLIC HEARING AND TO NOTIFY MIAMI TCI IN WRITING THAT THE PUBLIC HEARING HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 22, 1998. (Here follows body of resolution, omitted here and on file in the Office of the City Clerk.) Upon being seconded by Commissioner Teele, the resolution was passed and adopted by the following vote: Commissioner Wifredo Gort Commissioner Tomas Regalado Commissioner Joe Sanchez Commissioner Arthur E. Teele, Jr. Vice Chairman J.L. Plummer, Jr. NAYS: None. ABSENT: None. Commissioner Regalado: The reason... Commissioner Teele: Now, that's supposed to be a public hearing, as I understand it as well. Vice Chairman Plummer: That's fine. Commissioner Teele: OK. Vice Chairman Plummer: It should be. All right. Mr. Teele, do you have... Commissioner Teele: Mayor. Chairman Plummer: Mr. Regalado, you have anything else? Commissioner Regalado: Yeah. I had another... several questions but I have one... Commissioner Teele: Mayor, good morning. Commissioner Regalado: ...about the lease revenues. How reliable are the projection for these lease revenues? And we now have the possibility of the developer of Virginia Key and some different projects that some people have brought before the Mayor regarding the Bicentennial Park. So what can we ... what can we learn about the projections of the lease? Mr. Parekh: I'll get back to you momentarily, sir. Mayor Carollo: Excuse me. What project are you saying that was brought before me Bicentennial Park, Commissioner? Commissioner Regalado: A person from New York said that he met with you, Mr. Mayor, regarding an 9 June 30, 1998 Entertainment Complex. He came to see me. Mayor Carollo: Who ... who was that gentleman, sir? Commissioner Regalado: Mr. David Platter. Mayor Carollo: Mr. Platter is a gentleman from Miami. I did, as I should to any potential major investor to Miami, gave him the opportunity to meet with me and this is what the Mayor think of this City should be doing. He was looking to build this project in Watson Island. I met with him, with staff from many areas of the city pertinent to what he wanted to do. Law Department was there, Planning, Asset Management. It was made clear to him that what he wanted to do Watson Island could not be done. We went over with him other potential properties that we had in this city for development but not necessarily to include this Miami idea in the Bicentennial Park. So I just wanted to clarify that. Because if he's... Commissioner Regalado: No. That's the reason what I said it that he said that he has met with you. Mayor Carollo: Myself or anyone from the Administration is telling him that he has our blessing, that is not so... whatsoever... OK? Commissioner Regalado: No, that's not the way he presented it. Mayor Carollo: Thank you. Vice Chairman Plummer: Just for the Board's edification, as you know, you all appointed me to be the liaison to the Joint Committee of Key Biscayne, whatever, ever, ever. There's been no meeting called. Nobody has sent a letter out so, basically, as far as I know, Virginia Key, nothing is happening from that committee established by the state statutes. Mr. Regalado, you have anything else? Commissioner Regalado: Not now. Vice Chairman Plummer: All right. Mr. Teele, you have anything else or you want to pass, as usual, and be last? Commissioner Teele: No. Let me try to understand two or three things. What are the changes ... the pages that have been changed? Could you just outline those again? Mr. Warshaw: Commissioner, if you under at core initiatives, which are on page 5, you'll see the addition of the Clean-up and Beautification Program; the Adopting Best Practices; the returning of the properties to tle Property Tax Roll, and the Empowerment Zone, which we had discussed at the last meeting. In addition, if you look at the last tab, the last blue tab, you'll see the Management and Productivity Initiatives, which is the last tab in the book. Other than that, basically, the book is the same as the last time, with the exception of some footnotes on page 61, which is the Five -Year Plan projection. Commissioner Teele: All right. Briefly, what departments are sustaining a budget reduction, if any? Mr. Parekh: None, sir. Commissioner Teele: Briefly, what departments are sustaining a substantial increase in budget, if any? Mr. Parekh: The Police Department; Parks and Recreation; Solid Waste; Information Technology; General Service Administration; Fire Rescue, Finance. Vice Chairman Plummer: That's a reduction, right? Mr. Parekh: That's an increase. Vice Chairman Plummer: An increase? 10 June 30, 1998 Mr. Parekh: Yes, sir. Commissioner Teele: What is the increase in the Parks Department, one point two... Mr. Parekh: One million dollars ($1,000,000) in operating and half a million dollars ($500,000) in capital. Commissioner Teele: Technology? Mr. Parekh: Eight hundred and eight -eight thousand dollars ($888,000) primarily for programmers, equipment replacement, training and communication services. Commissioner Teele: Mr. Manager, I'd like to be on record as strong supporting any improvements we can make in technology. I think we have a serious problem. I don't think the year 2000 problem in the city is as bad as it is in some governments, but I really do think that the technology... the application of technology is lagging behind and I would really hope that, as we go through the budget previews next year, that technology is included in each department's approach. I think one of the concerns that I have would be that we should not become overly ... I see your very able department head standing nearby. I don't want this taken as a criticism, now that I'm trying to increase the dollars. But we should not really over engage in centralization. We really should try to work technology department by department and I think, in that regard, having both the Budget Office and the Technology Office available when you do your various annual budget submissions, I think it would be very helpful. I view technology right along with Human Resources and, again, I really do think that making our work force more computer literate, more computer independent, more technology independent will give us more bank for our buck and hopefully we'll reduce the need to continue to hire more people. Mayor Carollo: Commissioner, can I make a statement... Commissioner Teele: Yes. Mayor Carollo: ...in support of your statements on Technology? And Commissioner Plummer is still chairing for the meantime. I think what you said is very accurate. I don't think you've gotten far enough in your statement. The problem for the year 2000 is an extremely worldwide serious problem. It is estimated that up to 40 percent of all the small businesses are going to fail when the year 2000 hits, so it's a major nightmare that is awaiting the whole world, not just the United States, not just Miami. And I think one of the areas that we need to be concentrating in is not just making sure that we have resolved all our technology problems before the year 2000 comes but I think what needs to also be done to make life easier for all of us in government is to have staff and their technology department working along with other areas and departments within the City of Miami, is to make sure that the private sector is as aware as we are and to make sure that we're staying on top of as many of the key businesses components within the City of Miami from the private sector. Because the year 2000 hits and, all of a sudden, we're getting calls from all over the place that people are stuck in elevators. All kinds of problems that we can't even foresee now are happening. It is going to bring us to gridlock, like it can many other cities across the world. So, I would encourage our technology department and the administration, including Police and Fire, to work closely, not just within our city of family and governmental family, but with the private sector that we service. Mr. Aldo Stancato (Information Technology): Mr. Mayor, we have ... we have addressed... Vice Chairman Plummer: For the record, your name. Mr. Stancato: Aldo Stancato, Information Technology. Mr. Mayor, we have addressed the Year 2000 with regards to software and with regards to computers. We have now started a form of group within the city to address it Citywide and all the other departments, where it does not directly relate to computers or it could relate to the elevators, time clocks and all that. And we will be working with private industry and everybody else that —that's related to the City to turn around and get these things in hand before the Year 2000. Vice Chairman Plummer: Mr. Teele, you have anything further? June 30, 1998 Commissioner Teele: Yes, please. Relating to the Park's Department... and I know that my colleague, Commissioner Regalado has been working to upgrade the parks but we have a lot of strips of land that are called parks. Vice Chairman Plummer: A hundred and thirty-one. Commissioner Teele: I am particularly cognizant of Commissioner Sanchez' concerns in the last meeting and I share some of those concerns. I think we've got a lot of potential liability in the way we're addressing the parks programs and that's the good side. The bad side is that I think we really are not ... we don't have the resources to man the Parks Department in a way that is responsible. I think ... you know, it's real easy if a child slips and falls and sues the City to understand that. But Mr. Manager ... Mr. Manager, we have parks in the district that I represent where I know no place in Little Haiti that a person can buy drugs and sales, at any given time, other than a city park. And, Mayor, I've ... you and I visited Buena Vista Park, which is really too small not to be considered ... I mean, it's too small to be a real park and it's bigger than some of these strip paws but, Mr. Manager, this is a serious problem. The problem is, it would be easy close it down, except for the fact the park is in use all the time. I mean, there are people there playing basketball. We have asked for a survey between Northwest 2nd Avenue or Miami Avenue and the Railroad Track, since Commissioner Plummer represents everything on the other side, east of the railroad tracks. Vice Chairman Plummer: That's not true. I do represent west of the railroad tracks. Yours and mine split First Avenue. Commissioner Teele: All right, First Avenue. Vice Chairman Plummer: Up to 20th Street and then I go west. Commissioner Teele: But, Mr. Director, is there one park in Little Haiti that is west of Miami Avenue, east of Biscayne Boulevard? Mr. Alberto Ruder (Director of Parks and Recreation Department): West of Miami Avenue and East of Biscayne Boulevard? No. Vice Chairman Plummer: West of... Commissioner Teele: Now, I want the Commission to hear this because what has happened over the years has been a pattern of the way... Vice Chairman Plummer: Excuse me. Arthur, give me the ... delineate that. West of Miami and east of the Boulevard? Commissioner Teele: Right. Vice Chairman Plummer: I... Commissioner Teele: The railroad tracks, for all practical purposes. Because you see... Vice Chairman Plummer: Are you saying the railroad tracks is the west? Commissioner Teele: I'm saying the railroad tracks is the eastern boundary. Vice Chairman Plummer: Oh, OK. All right. All right. The only park that you have there isNotre Dame. Mr. Ruder: There is an Eden Park, which is kind of split up between two sides but that's... it's a very small park. Commissioner Teele: Now, I understand from Anita Bock, there's a lot of tension now about children 12 June 30, 1998 coming over from Little Haiti going over to Morningside to parks and I want to just put that on the record. Parks are open for everyone. On the other hand, Mr. Manager, it is very clear that Little Haiti has not had the quality and the caliber of parks. In fact, do we have any food feeding program, summer food feeding programs going in the Little Haiti area this summer? Mr. Ruder: We have. The only is at Range Park. Commissioner Teele: Yeah. And Range Park, just so that it's very clear, is right off of 95 and it really doesn't serve the Little Haiti area. Mr. Ruder: Yeah, that would be closest one, where there is... Commissioner Teele: OK. But I just want the Commission to know that when we begin ... when those of us that represent districts that have been traditionally under represented, begin to advocating we're not just doing this for some short term purpose. There are some systematic, long term problems that exist in this city and the biggest problem that we have is resources, money, and ... and that doesn't discriminate against anybody. But I do think ... I'm going to be coming back, Mr. Manager, asking for a budget resolution... as a part of our budget meeting in September, I'm going to be coming back with a resolution, asking for the legislature to help us out and to designate a first class park in the Little Haiti area. I think ... what is that, five to eight acres or eight to 10 acres? What are you all... Mr. Ruder: Five to eight acres should be a nice size park. Commissioner Teele: OK. And so I'm ... I'm not going to do that now and I'm not going to even ask the City to do that at this time. Although, I would dare say that Community Development funds are appropriate for an area that has that kind of economic disparity but, again, our Community Development funds are being tapped at every angle and I'm very cognizant of the controversy in Grove to try to address that park. As it relates ... Mr. Manager, I fully support the increases in the parks budget and I think we need to look at trying to get the parks budget at an acceptable level. I think, if you look historically at the parks budge over the last 10 years, it has been cut. Mr. Ruder: Yes. I just wanted to say the Manager has already met with me at least one time and we're going to have a series of meetings that he has indicated to me that this is going to be high priority to staff the parks and to find more creative ways to ... to add more resources to the parks, so we're working on this and he ... he has made it a high priority. Commissioner Teele: I would ask, again, that you look at the Buena Vista Park and come up with some creative ways to provide some more security, some more presence and supervision in that park. And that park ... I think that's on Northwest 2nd and about... Mr. Ruder: fifty-second. Commissioner Teele: ...52nd. It's a highly used park but I'm ... I'm telling you that the drug ... there is ... there's too much illicit and illegal activity in that area. Similarly, as it relates to the Police and Fire, I assume that the increases in Police and Fire interest largely driven by grant? Mr. Warshaw: And they're largely driven also by contractual increases, new contracts. Commissioner Teele: Yeah, but the question is, how much general fund new money is going into Police and Fire, if you exclude the Fire fee from the Fire Department? Vice Chairman Plummer: In other words, what is the increase for? Commissioner Teele: I thought it was grant money. Mr. Parekh: No, this is general fund increases that we're speaking. 13 June 30, 1998 Commissioner Teele: How large is the Police general fund budget being increased and how long is the Fire Department general fund being increased? Mr. Parekh: We increase the revised budget from 43.1 million to 43.7 million dollars ($43,700,000). Vice Chairman Plummer: Four million increase. Mr. Parekh: Six hundred thousand for... Commissioner Teele: You said 43, 1437? Mr. Parekh: Forty-three one sixty-one, oh six six and the add back was six hundred thousand, so it's forty-three million seven sixty-one zero six six. Commissioner Teele: Four hundred thousand dollar ($400,000) increase. Mr. Parekh: Six hundred thousand. Commissioner Teele: Six hundred? Mr. Parekh: Yes. Vice Chairman Plummer: And Police? Mr. Parekh: The Police Department original'99 was eighty-two point one million dollars ($82,100,000). Now it's eighty-five point one six million dollars ($85,160,000). And that's primarily contractual, professional services and also uniforms for Police officers who have not had them for the last two years. Vice Chairman Plummer: Yeah, but I'm going to make a proposal in just a minute that's going to knock that out. I hope. Commissioner Teele: Let ... let me understand this. I think the concern that we have to have here, even when we're dealing with contractual issues, is that we have to try to maintain some degree of statistical balance between Fire, Police and all other services; otherwise, you know, this thing can be become a Police state real soon. I mean, we'd ... we'd have to eliminate parks, we have to eliminate this. And I think what we must do is maintain, to some degree, the balance between Police, Fire, GSA (General Services Administration), Parks, etcetera. My reading of this is that we maintain that balance, that there is not a dramatic increase. Is that a fair reading? Mr. Warshaw: Yes, sir. Commissioner Teele: So we... Mr. Warshaw: There's very little additional increase, except those contractual commitments, particularly in the Police Department. The Fire department is about six hundred thousand. Commissioner Teele: Well, let —let me tell you one of the concerns that I have ... and I don't know where the Union is and why the Union isn't on the issue. We have Police officers that have cars that don't have sirens and don't have lights. Vice Chairman Plummer: They're not in patrol. Commissioner Teele: They're out on patrol without sirens or lights. Vice Chairman Plummer: We just bought two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) worth. Mr. Warshaw: Well, there's 96 new cars but those cars aren't going in as patrol cars. There are some cars 14 June 30, 1998 and GSA was, I think, a little bit behind in putting light bars and sirens in but, for the most part ... I'm not sure, Commissioner, if you're referring to unmarked cars or are you talking about zone cars? Commissioner Teele: No, no, no. I'm talking about zone cars. But the question is, can G... do we have a problem with GSA? Do we have a problem with equipment or do we have a management problem or none of the above? Vice Chairman Plummer: Or, all of the above? Mr. Juan Pascual (Director of General Services Administration): Commissioner...Juan Pascual, Director of GSA. We just received last week the 96 vehicles, which are ninety ... 1998 Ford Tauruses, which are mid -sized administrative vehicles. We're currently inventorying them, striking them and readying them for service. We will be swapping those with...with the pursuit styled vehicles that are currently being used for administrative functions. Commissioner Teele: Juan, do we have any marked Police cars out there that don't have lights or sirens operating? Mr. Pascual: There are cars that are used for non pursuit purposes that do not have lights and sirens. Commissioner Teele: Well, I shouldn't even worry about it. We got a Manager who, I think, is going to be very concerned about the Police... Mr. Warshaw: Commissioner. Commissioner Teele: Would you look into it and... and... and... Mr. Warshaw: There are currently no marked Police cars that are on regular patrol, that do not have lights and light bars and sirens and striping. There was a little bit of a lag where there were some cars that did -- Commissioner Teele: Thank you. Vice Chairman Plummer: If you really want to have fun, find out how many cars are in the Police Department don't even have decals on the side when we're supposedly, we're supposedly putting them out for look-see. Commissioner Teele: Let me ... let me go back to one thing about the Parks Department, Mr. Manager. There is ... this is this Safe Neighborhood Bond Program, which we've all heard about. They are very, very concerned ... and Mr. Adorno has ... has, to my surprise, has really not been that supportive of some of the things that are going on in the city. I have ... I've not met with him but I'm really surprised that the hard time, the very brutal time that they've given our staff on some of these municipal kinds of problems, but they have expressed, I think, legitimate concern about the County's ability to manage the program and the time frame that was agreed to with the public. Now, if you'll just go back for a minute, I think their concerns is well-founded. We've had too many of these bond issues with the School Board, with various governments, that we fail to maintain the time. Broward County is having the same problem. I need some assurance, Mr. Manager, that the City is able to administer and make the capital improvement contemplated under the Safe Bond Program and, hopefully, that you all will meet with the Mayor and each Commissioner regarding the programs and the timetables because they have been talking about taking money back and I think we would all have egg on our face if they start taking money back from us. Mr. Warshaw: Commissioner, I just met with Mr. Ruder and he'll brief you in a minute. I got the letter from Mr. Adorno and Al Ruder has briefed me on where we're at. I'd like him to give you a quick overview on that. Commissioner Regalado: Can I ... can I say it before... Commissioner Teele: And I apologize because Commissioner Regalado has the chaired the parks and... 15 June 30, 1998 Commissioner Regalado: No, no, no. No. I just wanted to give the members of the Commission and the Mayor, of course, all you know that the Parks Department has been working very hard with this bond issue but I would like to also tell you that we have good news regarding parking. The pools of this City of Miami parks are ... most of them are making money. And ... for instance, the pool in Shenandoah, it's making, each week, more than two thousand dollars ($2,000.00) after paying all the costs, operation... operational costs. The pools of the City of Miami were opened two days before the County's pools were open and I think that we have the possibility of keeping the pools open more than two weeks after the regular season. I will tell you that, in Shenandoah alone, more than two hundred people daily use the pool and Jose Marti Park and the other 10 pools, these are ... these are making money and it's important because we can use that money, not only for general funds about also to expend the services of the pools throughout the year, if this is the case. We only have two heated pools but here we can use the pools until September, even October. Thafs... I wanted to say that because it's important that the people of Miami knows that this has been a success up to now. Mr. Ruder: Yes, that is correct, Commissioner. And when it comes to the Safe Neighborhood Park Bond Program, you're right Commissioner Teele. The Oversight Committee, of which Hank Adorno is the chairperson, is concerned about the County and the City and their ability to move these projects quickly. One again, the Manager has been meeting with me and we're putting a program together. They also want to have a workshop with all of you to see what other ideas they can get from each of you and we'll be happy to brief each one of you individually. It has to be a team effort because it involves Public Works, Parks and there's some creative things that we're working on right now and I'm sure many of you will have some other good ideas that we could incorporate and that County is also incorporating at this moment. Commissioner Teele: I'll conclude very briefly. I have two real concerns about this budget, Mr. Manager. And I think we need to ... we need to focus on them at some point. The Solid Waste Budget ... the Solid Waste Department is making, I think, a lot of improvements in terms of the infrastructure but we're not there yet. I don't think we have a very good handle on what's going on at Solid Waste from a lot of point of views. I know that ... that we have the recycling ordinance that is working its way through and I commend the attorney and the departments for working on that. I know that we had one of the Assistant Managers, who not here, who had taken the lead on that. That appears to be falling through the crack with the Legal Department to some extent, Mr. Manager, in terms of the operational aspects of that. Very simply stated, there's a lot of recycling going on that ain't recycling and the code word is, if you recycle, you don't have to pay the 20 percent fee. That's just the way our rules read. I don't want to charge recycling but I want to control recycling because I can tell you that when a building is about to fall down and when it's dilapidated and when the garbage cans are overfilled and they ... all of the cans out there say recycling, that's not recycling. That's something altogether different. There is legitimate recycling going on but the vast majority of the recycling that I see in the district that I represent is not recycling. Similarly, these cash collections are ... I don't understand them. I won't take up your time but it seems that something is going on here with the garbage people. Do we have a revolt going on or anything negative happening with the big trash haulers, Mr. Dipak? But it seems to me that the numbers are going south here for the last two months on the franchise fees. Mr. Parekh: Commissioner, there may be a lag in some of this... people paying but you can see that there is a big disparity, especially for one company, Browning Feris, which went in March from eighty-four thousand to April to over a hundred and two thousand and down to eleven thousand eight hundred dollars ($11,800.00). Commissioner Teele: But they've never been eleven thousand. Mr. Parekh: Absolutely right. Commissioner Teele: So ... I mean... Vice Chairman Plummer: But I told you, Art, what's happening. And we're ... we're guilty. They're using companies out of Broward County, who do not pay our fee. I told you about the one at the Fire College. 16 June 30, 1998 Commissioner Teele: Yeah, but no one can collect garbage in the City of Miami but companies that are licensed by us, is that correct? Mr. Parekh: Permitted by us. Commissioner Teele: Huh? Mr. Parekh: Permitted by us. Commissioner Teele: That are permitted by us. You see, I think the whole issue of the NET and the Police and Solid Waste and Building and Zoning needs to really get to focused. Mr. Manager, there is no bigger bank for the buck that this city is going to see in res... in revenues than to get a handle on this commercial Solid Waste issue. I ... it's much bigger than the problem that we saw some years ago with the residential. You can dramatically increase the revenues to the city, in my judgment, by getting a handle on this. Right now, no one has a handle on it. Internal Management, they've been doing a study now for three months ... four months. Where is Internal Management on their study? But the Solid Waste Budget is driving this whole budget and ... I mean, let's be very clear about it. There were some discussion about privatization and an agreement to pri...I am opposed to privatization and I don't think that just because we can't manage ... you know, we ought to be talking about privatizing. The fact of the matter here is, this is the time to deal with privatization and the way to deal with privatization is to manage our way out of this thing and we need to manage today as we go forward, not wait until the end of next year and say hey, we can't do it. Because we can do it. Can you tell me where we are on the study as relates to the commercial? Mr. Elliott Prenner (Interim Director of Department of Internal Audits): My name is ElliottPrenner. I'm the Interim Director for the Department of Internal Audits. Basically, we ... we have been auditing all of the private waste haulers in the City of Miami. Browning Feris, that you mentioned, was audited several month ago and I don't ... and I'm not prepared to talk with exact figures but we did generate revenues on Browning Feris. I was not aware until now that some companies had been going to Broward County and, subsequent to our audit, our collecting garbage in the city and not paying the city, that they're not being licensed. Commissioner Teele: Are you aware that Browning and Feris submitted eleven thousand dollars ($11,000) for the month of May as compared to historical eighq five to ninety thousand dollars ($90,000) per month? Mr. Prenner: No, sir. Of May of'98? Commissioner Teele: May of'98. Mr. Prenner: No, sir. Our audit, I don't believe, went through that period of time. Commissioner Teele: Well, again, Mr. Manager, I think you get the picture. But the real issue is not auditing their books. The real issue is the field auditing, the field auditing. What's happening out there in those ... every one of those dumpsters has got a name out in front of every apartment building, out in front of every condo, out in front of every business. We need to do a permit process or something so that we can have some level of compliance. The money that the City is losing, in my judgment, is largely in the area of Solid Waste and the Solid Waste budget represents what deficit, Mr. Dipak? What is the deficit of Solid Waste overall to the general fund right now? What is the deficit of Solid Waste to the general fund, roughly? Mr. Parekh: Approximately eight million dollars ($8,000,000) Commissioner Teele: Eight? Mr. Parekh: Yes, sir. Commissioner Teele: So that's what we're talking about doing. If we can just get them on break even basis, we're eight million dollars ($8,000,000) to the good. Mr. Manager, thank you very much. I want to continue to commend you. I think, in the area of Community Development ... I know that you've got some 17 June 30, 1998 actions here but I think, you know, we're closing the gap there. I'm well aware of the fact that Congress has directed that there be audits of several cities and I'm hopeful that we won't be one of those. Thank you. Vice Chairman Plummer: Mr. Gort. Commissioner Gort: Dipak, I got a question. My understanding is the difference in revenues from'88 to'89 are about thirty-nine million dollars ($39,000,000). Is that because of non recurring revenues? Mr. Parekh: No. That's primarily also ... yes, it's non recurring for the issue of the sale of lands, which we had in excess of forty million dollars ($40,000,000), of which primarily the FEC is thirtyfive million dollars ($35,000,000) for this fiscal year. Commissioner Gort: Also, when you look at this budget here, in the past we have had a lot of problems with the special revenue funds, where there would always be over projections and then, when it comes to the end of the year, those projections are not being met and you come to a deficit there. Mr. Parekh: That is true, sir. And, you know, I couldn't echo anything better than the statement you just made. This is the concern with the Estimating Conference has had and the Oversight Board. One of the reasons, you'll see in the report, for the Estimating Conference, is that the Department Directors are not held accountable for the budgets or for the line items and the type of services they provide. And one of the problems we always had is that we have an over ambitious revenue sources and extremely conservative expenditure projections and then, what happens is, during the mid -year or during a ... especially the end of the fiscal year, it catches up to the City and suddenly there's a crisis. We've tried to ... in the... in the focus in the last Estimating Conference tried to abort that as much as we can but the problem still remains, sir. Commissioner Gort: Are we basing our projections on historical? Mr. Parekh: There are two types of projections we do. One is based directly on historical analysis, but then there are certain assumption the Department Directors make on their projected revenues. For this particular cycle in this book here, we went through the projection, line by line, with the Estimating Conference members and PFM (Professional Finance Management) staff in March and also presently and we believe those are all historical basis. Commissioner Gort: Also, looking at the expenditures, one of the major expenditures ... and I want to know the reason, if that is because increase of employment or because of the benefit. Talking about forty million dollars ($40,000,000.00) going from ... in a Five -Year Plan. Mr. Parekh: Can you refer to a page, sir, so we can -- Commissioner Gort: When you look at the expenditures. Mr. Parekh: Yes, sir. Commissioner Gort: When it comes to salary. Mr. Parekh: Yes. Commissioner Gort: It ... ninet�-eight is one hundred and forty-two. Mr. Parekh: Yes. Commissioner Gort: Ninet}-nine one sixty-one. Mr. Parekh: Absolutely. Commissioner Gort: And two ... 203 goes to one sevent)"nine. 18 June 30, 1998 Mr. Parekh: I agree. It's a combination of factors. Number one is the Police grants. We ... when we budgeted fiscal year '98, we were at 1065. Now we're at 1141. So, obviously, that has an impact on your...on your budgets. On the other side of the coin, we get reimbursed from the Federal Government, so we have taken those revenues in. Secondly, there is a four percent collar, which employees will be getting in this fiscal year, the last payroll period in September, which, if you analyze it, amounts to over five million dollars ($5,000,000). Plus, we added in the last round 131 positions, which will cost the City approximately three point eight million dollars ($3,800,000) in salaries, plus approximately two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) in FICA. Commissioner Gort: Those 131 positions have already been put in or they're going to project it to be put in? Mr. Parekh: No. They have already been put in for this fiscal year and they've been rolled future years, sir. Commissioner Gort: It was put in in'88? I mean'98? Vice Chairman Plummer: Ninet)-eight. That's where you get the 1141. Mr. Parekh: It was put in in'98, yes, March. Commissioner Gort: Thank you. Vice Chairman Plummer: I guess it's my turn. I have a question first and foremost. If we surrender this, which is here today, ...I'm already concerned about the fact that you went to the Estimating Board yesterday. Are we really a joke in September when we have public hearings? Mr. Parekh: No, sir. Vice Chairman Plummer: I mean, we normally have, I think, by law, two public hearings. Now, are we really saying to the public we don't care what you say in September because we've already surrendered to the Oversight Board on July the 6th and we can't make any changes? Mr. Parekh: No, sir. Vice Chairman Plummer: Well... Mr. Parekh: We're not saying that. Vice Chairman Plummer: Let's be fair now. Because, you know, I don't need two more meetings in September. So tell me that, in September, that we still can, without any problem, change the budget and still be within accord that the Oversight Board is not going to say that's a nano. Mr. Warshaw: I'll answer that. Commissioner, you can change the budget. It still has to be balanced in accordance with state laws. So you can make changes between now and September at the September budget hearings. What we're given to the Oversight Board is basically our commitment to them to present a five-year, balanced picture for them. Vice Chairman Plummer: Fully understanding that come September of this year, there still can be major changes to the budget? Mr. Parekh: Yes, sir. But also I need to put in another caveat, that not only does it have to be balanced per state law but the recurring and non recurring analysis must be over a hundred percent as well. Those are the normal requirements. Vice Chairman Plummer: OK. Let me start. Mr. Parekh: Yes, sir. 19 June 30, 1998 Vice Chairman Plummer: OK. We talked about the other day, especially Mr. Teele and I, in reference to cleaning this city up. I have sent you in excess of over two hundred memos in my district alone, of lots, vacant mostly, that are not in concurrence with our ordinance. Yeah, over two hundred. I should say...excuse me. Let me clarify that. It's lots, abandoned cars, demolishing buildings, non -secured buildings. I can't get any action. Mayor Carollo: Commissioner, how many of those memos were within the last four weeks? Vice Chairman Plummer: Most of them. Most of them. OK. Mayor Carollo: On the and so on? Vice Chairman Plummer: Now, I've got some good results in Coconut Grove, West Grove. I want to tell you ... and I don't mean to be picking on anybody but I have got no results in Wynwood. I have buildings there that are absolutely a disgrace. I've asked Mr. Combo to give me Mr. Buhrmaster this afternoon. I want to go up and show him just three, three areas, three buildings that absolutely have got to go. One of them burned out six months ago or seven or eight months ago. The cars are still in it. The pallets are still in it. The tires are still in it and the weeds, more than 36 inches, they're more than six foot high. Now, my point, Mr. Mayor, that I'm trying to make is simply, in my district alone a hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) will not begin to cover that which needs to be done. Now, this is a supposedly a seed program. If they don't do their lots, we do it for them. We send them a bill and hopefully they're going to pay the bill but if they don't, we put a lien on their property. But I had asked that a great deal more money than a hundred and fifty thousand. That's a joke. I mean, we're not going to get anything accomplished with a hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($150,000). Mayor Carollo: I'll find for you another hundred and sixty thousand in minute. Vice Chairman Plummer: OK. Now, that's number one. I think a half a million dollars ($500,000) in a revolving fund is absolutely mandatory. Not a dime less. OK? Mr. Mayor, you have spoke individually and I have backed what you've said in reference to the International Trade Board. All they have put in the budget is a hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($150,000). You will not do the kind of things that you have expressed to me and to others that we would like to see the International Trade Board become much more important, especially now that Dade County has eliminated theirs. So I'm saying to you, a hundred and fifty, we're not going to be doing a whole lot in International Trade. I mean, you're talking about two people, three people in staff and maybe one or two programs. On the PSA (Public Service Aides) program, I've asked for a 150 PSA's. I think, without question, it is justified. The numbers justify the increase. I think we presently have 47. Mr. Warshaw: We're budgeted for a hundred for next year. Vice Chairman Plummer: I think we need a hundred and fifty, due to attrition of natural attrition. I still say to you, Mr. Combo, that, in fact, you need to change the classification that it is not automatic that they go from a PSA to a Police officer. I mean, standing in the back of this room right now, Mike ... I'm not going to say how old he is...was called and told to report to the Police station to sign up, to be put through the academy, to become a Police officer. And he said, are you sure you're calling Mike Shapiro? They said, yes. Commissioner Gort: They saw him playing softball. That's why. Vice Chairman Plummer: I'm telling you, its ridiculous. OK. I think that the numbers speak for themselves. What we had a hundred PSA's they were writing, as you told me, near 6000 reports a year. We're now down to 47 and we're down to 1600 reports. Am I in the ball ... If I'm not right, tell me so. Mr. Warshaw: It's about four to five thousand a month versus now down to under 2000, so you're a hundred percent right. The numbers... 20 June 30, 1998 Vice Chairman Plummer: Any Police chief we have ever had has always said 60 percent of a Policeman time is writing reports. If we can get three PSA's for every Police officer in salaries, they can write everything but capital reports. That they cannot do. Mr. Warshaw: Just so you know, Commissioner, I've increased and approved the number ofPSA's for this fiscal year so the hiring process will begin, so hopefully by September or October our numbers will be up into the 70's and then, by January or February or so of 1999... Vice Chairman Plummer: I'm going for a 150. Now, my biggest buga-boo in this budget is going to continue to be ... and, Chief, you're not going to like what I'm going so say but I'm going to tell you why ... the way I like it. I will not vote for five million dollars ($5,000,000) in over time. I'm not going to vote for five million in overtime. That, without a doubt, in my estimation, is poor planning. Poor planning. Now, when you have five point one million dollars ($5,100,000) in overtime for the Police Department, then you add to that one point five million dollars ($1,500,000) in the Police Department for socalled special events, you're coming up with six point six million dollars ($6,600,000) in over time. Now, what I'm going to say to you ... my colleagues might not agree with me. Here's where you can get it. And I think it's an incentive for the Police Department to do it. In four months you have raised in excess of a million dollars ($1,000,000) in confiscated cars at a thousand dollars ($1,000) a car. All right. And God bless you. Because, let me tell you, in Coconut Grove right now, in West Grove, they're taking taxicabs to buy their dope. All right. But there's no question in this city you can confiscate 10 to 15 cars a day. There's no question in my mind. And, as far as I'm concerned, that's where the money should come from. From this source and this source alone. It's an incentive to do your over time that you need and that's what I'm voting for because I am not going to vote out of the general fund five million dollars ($5,000,000) in overtime. Commissioner Teele: Commission, would you yield on the point? Vice Chairman Plummer: Absolutely. Commissioner Teele: Let me understand. Your concern is the fact that the five million is general fund money? Vice Chairman Plummer: Yes, sir. Commissioner Teele: Is any of that money matched with federal grants? Vice Chairman Plummer: No, sir. None whatsoever. Commissioner Teele: Mr. Director ... Mr. Manager? Mr. Warshaw: Commissioner, the over time issue is a little bit complicated and I'll be glad to send you a detailed summary. Let me tell you a couple of things. First of all... Commissioner Teele: Is any of that money matched? I mean, is that like ... is that like we're going to lose five million dollars ($5,000,000) if we don't spend it? Mr. Warshaw: No, sir. But within that five million dollars ($5,000,000) there is over time that is the paid for with federal dollars and Dipak will tell you how it comes in under revenue side or the other side of the books. That's one issue. Second issue is that a goodly amount of that five million is, of course, court over time where officers have a minimum contractual commitment for appearance in court. Now, we've made some great strides in the last year or so with the Witness Program and the Court Standby Program in the courts to limit the number of officers who are going to court, who don't really need to be going to court. But incorporated with that over time is also monies that are reimbursed to the city for outside events, but over time ... the management of over time, as Commissioner Plummer's a hundred percent right, it's a management... it's a management responsibility and our over time numbers have grown over the years as the Department grows and the rate goes up and increases go up. Commissioner Teele: How much overtime do we have budgeted this year from the general fund? 21 June 30, 1998 Mr. Warshaw: About five point six million. Vice Chairman Plummer: And you're already at seven point what? Mr. Parekh: Five. Vice Chairman Plummer: Already, you're seven point five and you have July, August and September to go. Mr. Warshaw: Again... Commissioner Teele: Let me ask a different question then. How much money have we collected from confiscated cars this year. Vice Chairman Plummer: One ... actually collected? Seven hundred and three thousand five hundred but they have cars which, if they are like the rest, will bring in one million one hundred eightynine thousand five hundred dollars ($1,189,500) and that's as of June the 25th. Commissioner Teele: Is that ... when a car is confiscated, for budget purposes, Dipak, is the confiscated car just placed ... is the fund placed in the general fund? Mr. Parekh: Yes, sir. Vice Chairman Plummer: Yes. Commissioner Teele: So what Commissioner Plummer is saying is to create an account which... Vice Chairman Plummer: An incentive. Commissioner Teele: Which confiscated cars can be used for ... as a overtime ... I would support Commissioner Plummer on that. I would tell you what that looks like though. It looks like we're getting back to the old days where the Sheriff made his salary based upon the number of tickets that he wrote. Vice Chairman Plummer: Except for fact these are handled by a master and I can tell you in the fairness ... Mr. Teele, 49 of the cases that were taken to the master... Commissioner Teele: Nobody showed up? Vice Chairman Plummer: Nope. Were returned. The master overruled the Police Department and did not charge the thousand dollars ($1,000) and the cars were released back to the owners. OK. So it's not a think of, you know, larceny or vigilantes. It's the source. Commissioner Teele: Commissioner ... and I want to yield to the Mayor but let me tell you what my concern and, Mr. Manager, I want you to hear this because, again, you have this very unique position and this is a position that I'm concerned about. There is no question that this Commission and this Commissioner have supported Fire and Police historically. Fire and Police represent what percent of the City budget? Mr. Parekh: Around 75 percent. Commissioner Teele: Let's get it on the record very clearly. Fire and Police services represent 75 percent? Mayor Carollo: No, it's less than that. It's about two thirds overall. Mr. Parekh: Yes, but.... Commissioner Teele: Including fringe benefits and all of that. Let's get it all loaded in under one number here. If you allocate the fringe benefits for Police and Fire and everybody because you can't hire somebody 22 June 30, 1998 without paying them the fringe, what does Fire and Police represent? Mr. Parekh: Seventy-five percent. Because the pension costs have not been apportioned, nor has the internal service charge. Mayor Carollo: Well, if you're going to include pension costs and other things, it gets closer. Mr. Parekh: Yes. Mayor Carollo: Still not the 75. Slightly below that. Commissioner Teele: Let's be very clear what we're talking about here. Fire and Police represent 75 percent of the budget. This was a comment that I made before. We need to have little pie charts that show each year Fire and Police and the rest of the department... the department, so that we can maintain that historical balance, so that we're not just going charging off in one direction. The problem that we all spend our time talking about here, in addition to the Parks issues and the Police and Fire issues, is the question of the city not being cleaned up. Illegal dumping and that. If Commissioner Plummer is saying we're going to hold that money available in a special account for neighborhood clean ups and that, you know ... and let the Police be a part of that budget for special task force to do something like that on a one time basis, I would fully support it. I think ... you know, a part of what we've got to do is get this city cleaned up. The law abiding people don't get enough services from the City of Miami. That's the problem. Vice Chairman Plummer: And they're telling us every day. Commissioner Teele: And most of the time we spend the money or we're trying to apprehend the bad guys and that's where the budget is going. We need to constructively and creatively... and I don't want to bill that five million dollars ($5,000,000) into the Solid Waste budget because, again, I think that takes the incentive out of what I've been saying we've got to do, which is go out there and find the money. And if we were to put that five million dollars ($5,000,000) or some portion of that in Solid Waste, then the budget deficit for Solid Waste wouldn't be eight million. It would be 13 million. But if you're talking about creating a constructive one-year program with some portion of the five-year... five million dollars ($5,000,000) totally based upon cleaning up the city, utilizing the Solid Waste and Police and Building and Zoning and NET and whoever else needs to be involved in it, I would support you, Commissioner. Vice Chairman Plummer: OK. You want to say something? Mr. Warshaw: Yes. Vice Chairman Plummer: Because I got one more step to go Mr. Warshaw: Commissioner, I just like to tell you that ... and I realize I've been in this position for a short period of time but I've been very outspoken over the years about the embarrassment I feel of the condition of the city in terms of it being filthy, so I tell you that it's a very high priority for me to get the city cleaned up so that it can be proud to walk in any one of Miami's neighborhoods and not see garbage and overgrown lots and I intend to make that a very high priority, along with fixing up the park system as well. Vice Chairman Plummer: To my colleagues, I probably have 90 percent of the condos in this city. I hope you got me the number. I have been approached by the condo associations, primarily Brickell, who are, in fact, filing a lawsuit or have or will file a lawsuit and, basically, have asked me to bring before this Commission something that they feel that is not fair and that is that the condos in this community, for whatever reason, even though they are single family residence, have been turned by this city as commercial. Now, they feel that that is totally unfair and especially as it relates to the waste fees of Ahe special waste fees. They have indicated to me, through their research, that, in fact, all that raises for the city is a hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) and I've asked for staff to tell me yes or no... Mr. Parekh: We're still working on it, sir. 23 June 30, 1998 Vice Chairman Plummer: And have asked me for the following resolution, which I will read. It's called an emergency ordinance amending Chapter 22, Article 1, Section 22-12 of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida, as amended, entitled Waste Fees. By clarifying the definition of commercial to not include residential condominiums or Residential Condominium Associations, containing inrepealer provision and severability clause. If, in fact, in my opinion, that all this does, in fact, is raise a hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) and it would withdraw a lawsuit, I think it has merit. I had ask for the consideration ... I assume, Mr. City Attorney, that this is a budgeted item but I can bring the matter up now and, if such, I will move it and ask my colleagues to consider it. Mayor Carollo: Commissioner, if I may just say the following... Vice Chairman Plummer: Absolutely. Mayor Carollo: ...on this item and some of the other resolutions that keep appearing at each meeting as pocket items. We had passed an ordinance recently that stated that any item that comes up before this Commission as a pocket item that will have an impact on the city financially needs to go through the administration before it could be considered by the Commission. Vice Chairman Plummer: Yes, sir. And I fully understand that. And I fully under ... also understand that if this were to be passed and that would be revoked that, in fact, we would have to find a balancing fee of recurring revenue to supplement that which has been abolished. Mayor Carollo: Right. And I think we all understand that. But what I am talking about is that the ordinance that this Commission passed stated that we will not deal with pocket items that were to have any kind of impact on the city financially until first the Administration would go over it and deal with it. And I'm not just talking about this one. There are others that have been brought up or might be brought up now. And all that I'm saying is that we either need to go along in the spirit of that ordinance or... Vice Chairman Plummer: Mr. Mayor? Mayor Carollo: ...or take it out. Vice Chairman Plummer: I fully understand what you're saying. I have no...no problem, as long as what I said previously is truth and that is that in July or September this ordinance can come back, be presented to the Commission and be approved or disapproved. Now, all I'm saying is that has to be that I will ... I'll wait until the meeting in July. I'll meet to ... I'll wait until the meeting in September of budget hearings, but it is fully my intent to offer that motion and possibly even by that time they'll be able to determine in fact how much that money is or can be waived. Mayor Carollo: And I think the Administration needs to, right now, start looking at the resolution that Commissioner Plummer has and to ascertain if, in deed, that sole that is going to cost the City and if so, then bring the information back to the City as soon as you can. Vice Chairman Plummer: That's right. I have no problem, Mr. Mayor. Just, I will report to the Condominium Association that, hopefully, it will be coming back on the 14th of July or the 21 st, whichever is agreeable. Mr. Parekh: The 21 st. Vice Chairman Plummer: The 21st is fine. And that they should be here to support that issue. You know, I've got almost 6000 condominiums, I'm told, in my district. Mayor Carollo: And you're getting a lot more. Vice Chairman Plummer: You're not ... I have asked ... I'm not going to say who, but I am almost to the point of announcing that 70 percent of this City's total revenue is in my district. If I can just keep Mr. Gort out of my district and keep Mr. Teele out of my district ... I will ... Mr. Mayor, I will be happy to wait until the 21 st of 24 June 30, 1998 July. Mr. Manager, would you please so inform, by letter, Mr. Troy Jacobs of the Homeowners Association, that this matter was brought up here today, needs further reading... redefining and that it will be brought back to the City Commission for consideration on the 21 st day of July. Commissioner Gort: Mr. Mayor? Vice Chairman Plummer: Sent me a copy of the letter. Commissioner Gort: As the maker of the ... that ordinance, if I recall, I think we all agreed to do it, before we bring a pocket item, like you stated, that's going to make a fiscal impact on the City, as you go through the Administration, then come to us. And I think that was the spirit to make sure that any changes that we make in the budget, we be aware of it. Number 2, J.L., I would be glad to stay out of your district but, unfortunately, you keep calling me every day. You know, what can I tell you? Vice Chairman Plummer: Yeah, but you're calling meetings in my district and you're not inviting me. OK. Mr. Mayor, I want to know whether I'm going to expect an increase in the budget, Mr. Dipak, on cleaning up this city or I'm not. I think I need to know that ... we need to know that today. Mayor Carollo: Well... Vice Chairman Plummer: Are we going to make an increase in the ... in ITB or we're not. The PSA's, we got at least a hundred. I'll fight for more later. Are we going to do anything about the over time? These are legitimate concerns that, in my opinion, should be addressed today. That's what we're here for. Mayor Carollo: I agree. Vice Chairman Plummer: Now, I'll tell you what I'll do, Mr. Mayor, whenever you're ready, I'll start offering motions and let's see if they pass or they fail. Mayor Carollo: If I can, Commissioner. Vice Chairman Plummer: Sure. Mayor Carollo: You're still chairing the meeting. I haven't taken the gavel per se. Vice Chairman Plummer: Fine. Mayor Carollo: If I could go over some of the things that you've mentioned here now. One, that I want to make sure that before we will take any action on in directing, that we would get guidance from our City Attorney. Has to do with the thousand dollars ($1,000) that we get per each vehicle confiscated. I think we have to be very careful. And while your ideal of a resolution such as that, I think, is very well intended and I take it as such, truly, because I think it's ... because that's a good way of trying to cut back on some areas that we're having expenditures in. My only concern would be ... and I would ask the City Attorney to guide us in that before we would have any official resolution to that ... and that is, are we getting into a real gray area of crossing the line, like in the old days when there were quotas or people thought there were quotas for tickets, where we could be putting the City in harm's way in possible liability. That's the only concern that I would have on that. Vice Chairman Plummer: Mr. Mayor, if I may address that problem ... that concern that you have. When that car is stopped, that car have to have in its possession narcotics. If it is not, they do not stop or confiscate the car. Now, Mr. Mayor, I will agree with you, if that's what you want. But then, conversely, I want to see a motion before this Commission today to cut by at least 50 percent the over time in the Police Department. I ... it's out ... it's just completely out of control in my opinion. Mayor Carollo: The other motion is one that can be discussed and certainly... Vice Chairman Plummer: That's fine. You want to go three million dollars ($3,000,000) in over time? 25 June 30, 1998 Period, that's it. But I'm not going to vote for it otherwise. So, I mean... Mayor Carollo: My only concern ... and the confiscation of vehicles goes beyond if there are drugs found in the vehicle. Vice Chairman Plummer: Drugs or prosecution, either one. Commissioner Sanchez: Or DUI (Driving Under the Influence). Mayor Carollo: Yeah. Vice Chairman Plummer: No. I don't think our ordinance addresses that. Commissioner Sanchez: I believe it does. Mr. Vilarello: It does and we'll be coming back... Vice Chairman Plummer: DUI? Mr. Vilarello: Yes. And the Law Department will be coming back with a modification of that ordinance with regard to DUI. However, I do want to caution the Commission with regard to using ... this ordinance was designed to address and deal with street level narcotics and prostitution. It does generate revenues. that's a side effect because of the punitive affect of the ordinance. I do caution any kind of quotas or restrictions placed on it based on an intent to generate revenues. Vice Chairman Plummer: Well, look, it's as broad as it is long. OK. I'll be glad to make a motion that Police Department overtime shall not exceed thirty million dollars ($30,000,000) and that any funds that are derived from the confiscation of automobiles or drugs or prostitution can go into supplement that fund. I mean, its out of the question. Mr. Manager, what did we pay every Friday and Saturday night in Coconut Grove in overtime? Mr. Warshaw: You're talking about the... Vice Chairman Plummer: The special details. OK. Mr. Warshaw: ...special detail? I don't know what the exact number is but, Commissioner, if I could ask you, on the issue of overtime, if I could come back to you and let you see the break down of court overtime, of regular overtime, of grant overtime. Because some of the court overtime monies are really monies we don't have tremendous control over, except as we work with the court system to lessen the number of officers showing up, which we've made, you know, enormous headway on. And I'd like to come back to you and maybe ... you know, in the September hearings, on the budget, have for you a full study of Police overtime so you can see it from every angle. Vice Chairman Plummer: You know, that's fine. But I want you to know that comes September.1 mean, all we're doing is delaying, delaying and delaying. That's another July, August, September because it'll be the end of September. Mr. Warshaw: I guess... Vice Chairman Plummer: That's three more months where you could be collecting another million dollars ($1,000,000) in overtime money through the confiscation. Do you realize today how people are scared in West Grove of taking a car down there to buy drugs? Let me tell you. It is probably one of the best things we've got going. And I'm going to ask the Administration to put up two or three signs stating just that, so people know that if they get caught buying drugs ... I mean, it is out of control in West Grove. Commissioner Sanchez: Without a doubt. It is being.... 26 June 30, 1998 Vice Chairman Plummer: It is out of control. You talk about a park, Mr. Teele. I'll give you a park and I'm not going name it because, God rest her soul, she was a great lady. But on one side of the park is prostitution park and on the other side of the park is pharmacy park, and you can go there any time you want and get whatever you're looking for. And I mean ... where is it? I'm telling you, that's where I'm at. I'll wait until September. No, I'll wait until the 21 st of July, if that's what you want, but let me tell you something, people around here have got to start getting other sources of revenue and cutting. The people of this city ... you better understand it ... are up to here and beyond. Commissioner Sanchez: Mr. Commissioner, if you could yield. Vice Chairman Plummer: I yield. Commissioner Sanchez: Thank you. Vice Chairman Plummer: I've got nothing accomplished but I'll yield, if that's what you want to do. OK. It's not what I want to do. Commissioner Sanchez: My concern is, when I ... when we first opened up the meeting, it was ... the solution here, and follow colleagues and everyone that's here today, it's micro management. We need to start holding people accountable for their actions. We need to know what's going on in the city. The departments need to have a department head that needs to know what's going on. That's how we're going to save money, even if it takes turning off the lights at five o'clock or at six o'clock when we leave the office, recycling, whatever it takes. It is an effort that's going to require everyone to participate in. The overtime in the Police Department, I am concerned with it but my past experience in law enforcement, I realize that when you have to go to court, you have to go to court and there are some things that you have no control over the budget. But, it is something that we're going to have to address and the word here is micro management. Run this city like a business. That's just it. Vice Chairman Plummer: What about when you go to court that we ask the judge to reimburse the City for the expenses incurred by the personnel that are there? I asked six months ago. Where is it? What happened with it? Nobody has ever comeback and said, hey, Commissioner, you're nuts, you're crazy. The judge says go to hell. What happened to it? I asked six months ago that, on cases with DUI, that the fine include what, in fact, the City of Miami Police Department in personnel had put out to be included in the fine to reimburse us for that amount of money? Nobody has ever come back to me. Commissioner Sanchez: Commissioner Plummer? Vice Chairman Plummer: Nobody cares, I guess. Commissioner Sanchez: I do believe the money that goes back goes to the County, correct? Vice Chairman Plummer: No, two thirds. Commissioner Sanchez: Two thirds? Vice Chairman Plummer: It's two thirds, one third, correct. Mr. Warshaw: It's been tried with very little success and, of course, on the major crimes, people usually don't have the money. Vice Chairman Plummer: I'm talking ... I spoke to the DUI. OK. That's what I spoke to. Because that was the one that the ... that morning tribune was popular on that particular day. You know, I ... the only other thing I'm going to press for, Mr. Mayor, in the upcoming budget is enough money to bring in a company to do a full evaluation of Police and Fire Administration. I've asked to find out what the cost factors of that would be. I think we're extremely top heavy and I think we need to look at it. I think we need to make some changes. I also think that this City Commission has also some cases ... I've sent a memo to the Manager, the previous Manager. I guess you got it. I think we are long overdue in reviewing and revamping the NET 27 June 30, 1998 offices. Six months, a year ago the NET offices were the best thing we ever had going for us in this city. Today, Saturday and Sunday they're closed. There's nobody there. You can't get a response. One of the Policeman says, I'm not taking my beeper home. This is not a 24 hour in a day job. The indifference has got to be bad. You take the NET office downtown. You tell me, Mr. Chief ...I'll now pick on the Chief ...that the nine Police cars there because they're bicycles and they park them there for the safety of the Police cars. Well, I thought we put Police cars out on the street for a ... idea of looking to see. I think that we've got to revamp completely the NET offices. I think maybe we have too many. Maybe 13. We need to condense down and have less. I think that when you come to the mi6stations...I was up in the Garment District yesterday and in the Garment District we have a mini -police station that is no more than the size of an outhouse on 26th or 27th Street. I defy you to find it. The only way I found it ... excuse me. On the front door it says Miami Police Service Center. OK. Now, I don't know what it is but, obviously, most all of them take somebody to answer a phone, got to have a phone. What I'm saying is, it takes money and maybe we have too many of them. Maybe we need to incorporate the mi6stations in with the NET offices. I just find it impossible to find people around here that are trying to find ways to cut expenses. Mr. Warshaw: It doesn't cost us anything. Vice Chairman Plummer: Hey, it doesn't cost you anything? I don't believe that. OK. I don't believe it. You don't have any personnel there? Nobody there. Mr. Warshaw: It's not that we don't have personnel there. What happens is, community policing, in effect, creates a merge in between Police and businesses and citizens. They offer space. There's a lot of offices that feel proud to put up ... that they have a little City of Miami Police ... where a Police officer can write a report. They're not really mini -stations. They're not facilities of the city. They're not ... they're really not costing us any money but you should know where they all are. Vice Chairman Plummer: I can't find them. Can't find them. Mr. Warshaw: I'll get you a list. Vice Chairman Plummer: There were three Police cars there yesterday for better than two hours. Mayor Carollo: OK, now. And are you done, Commissioner? Vice Chairman Plummer: I've just started. Mayor Carollo: How was breakfast this morning? Vice Chairman Plummer: You know, you and I, and the rest of us sitting up here all are affected in our pocketbooks by taxes and fees. Mayor Carollo: Absolutely. Vice Chairman Plummer: And I want to tell you something my friend, I'm fed up. I am fed up. My taxes ... if they go up again this year, are now in excess of five thousand dollars ($5,000) in taxes. And when you add to that what's happening to the homeowners in this community... because, remember, taxes are only one aspect of what the homeowner is getting killed with. Commissioner Gort: Sure is. Vice Chairman Plummer: When you look at what it's costing for homeowners insurance after Andrew, it's absolutely devastating. I just wrote the check for my homeowner on my house for thirtytwo hundred... thirty-two hundred and twelve dollars ($3212) Mayor Carollo: Wish you would have waited for tomorrow. Vice Chairman Plummer: Why tomorrow? 28 June 30, 1998 Mayor Carollo: We would have gotten over the meeting today. Vice Chairman Plummer: You know, all I can tell you is, it's costing me ten thousand dollars ($10,000) a year to live in my house and I...lot of money. Of course, the people her in the city, they don't live here, so they don't care. Mayor Carollo: Well, J.L., I think all of us up here are of the same mind frame. None of us want to see hire taxes, higher fees. If anything, we want to lower the taxes, lower the fees. And that's why the City of Miami, again, has not increased its millage rate. It's been frozen there. If anything, the last year, the overallmillage rate, including some of the bond issues that were paid off, it went down slightly. At the same time, that's why we do not have any fee increases in the fiscal budget for ninety,nine. And we certainly hope ... and it's our intention... not to have any additional fee increases in out years. But having said that... Vice Chairman Plummer: Mr. Mayor, if I may. You know, I've heard some of my colleagues say time and time again, we've got to run this city as a business. Mayor Carollo: I'm one of those, as I said. Yes. Vice Chairman Plummer: And if you run this city like a business, there's no deficits. You don't spend money you don't have. Mayor Carollo: That's correct. Vice Chairman Plummer: OK. We are just look at the Five -Year Plan and the amount of money that we are spending in deficit in the five years. You don't show me ... not you, Mr. Mayor. The City staff does not show me cuts commensurate with the amount of deficit that we're running. You don't spend money you don't have if you want to call yourself a successful business. Mayor Carollo: Go ahead, Commissioner. Commissioner Gort: Go ahead. Mayor Carollo: Everything that you're saying, J.L., I'm in agreement with you. You're not going to find someone that's more conservative, financially, than I am. You know, to the point that I'm the guy that makes sure that even when we leave here every night, late, I'm turning off the lights. When the water was running out of one of the toilets in the Manager's Office, I'm the one, if you remembered, kept asking to get it fixed. That was costing us money, even in the little things in saving this City dollars. Because if you start doing the little things, you're going to make sure that you do the big things that are going to save the City dollars. The basic problem that —that we have here, has been, J.L., that, in the last decade or more, the lack of professional administration that we've had in the city has been combined with the lack of vision that we've had from the Administration, and more in the city. And if we would have done 10 years ago, 12 years ago, eight years ago, some of the things that we're starting to do now that's going to bring in the recurring revenue in the next three, four, five years or before, then we need for the City ... we won't be discussing any of the areas that we've touched upon today because we would have the sufficient recurring revenue to carry on and bring the City forward without worrying about all the things that we're talking about here. In fact, we would probably have been in a tremendous situation to have indeed lowered taxes. The problem is that we can't do over night what has been done throughout quite a few years. In order for us to bring a major recurring revenue in our City's properties, we have to start working at that right now, so that three years from now, four years from now, five years from now, those dollars are coming in from those properties. You know, there's no city in America ... and I'm ... I'll dare to say probably nowhere in the world out of all the major cities in the world, that has a approximately some one thousand prime waterfront acres, smacked in the best parts of its city, that are basically still virgin to be developed. We have that and that's what we need to do. But we need to do it in a way where we're going to get top dollars for our properties, where we don't have the front row filled like has been the custom lately here, by a bunch of influence peddlers that are trying to intimidate this Commission and put pressure on us to give sweetheart deals away; otherwise, you know, we might as well close shop right now if that's going to happen. We've talked about very legitimate areas here, that you 29 June 30, 1998 have brought up, some of our colleagues have brought up, that we need more dollars for different areas of the city. At the same time, areas that we need to look at to still cutback, if we can. I think the issue of Police overtime is a very legitimate issue for us to look at. If there are areas there that we can truly cut back in, we should. But what we need is to really sit down with the administration of the Police Department, including with budget, and see if what we might think up here is an easy solution. Maybe it's not. Because then we're the ones that are up here asking for Police officers to be assigned to different areas, different functions, and that's what brings the overtime dollars up. At the same time, the areas that you mentioned that we need to be, J.L., because this is what this City's future lies in, is International Trade in Commerce. Vice Chairman Plummer: I agree. Mayor Carollo: The International Trade Board needs to beefed up and what I suggest is that we do the following, so that we're not scattering or our limited resources in three difference ways, so that we could combine all the resources that we have in International Trade in promoting Miami, Downtown Miami, Coconut Grove, filling up our convention centers here, our hotels. I suggest that we have a get-together between the Executive Director and respective Chairman's of the International Trade Board, yourself, Downtown Development Authority, which Commissioner Gort chairs, and the Sports and Exhibition Authority of the city, which I chair. And let's see what dollars we all have between each other and the respective groups and how we can pull them together to see how we could get the biggest bang for our dollars. It's not to say that you don't need additional dollars in the International Trade Board, which you do and we need ... we're having that meeting in just a few minutes. The minute we finish here, we're going into that meeting. Vice Chairman Plummer: It's been canceled. Mayor Carollo: Oh, it's been canceled. Well, OK. Vice Chairman Plummer: Because of this meeting. Mayor Carollo: All right. The area of Solid Waste. That's very important for a city, next to Police and Fire, the protection of life and property. Solid Waste comes right after. We need to provide the tools to the Solid Waste Department so they can succeed. I'm not seeing that. For instance, one of the things that happened during the time that I was away was that a competent professional Solid Waste Administrator was forced out. We do not have a Solid Waste Director in department. You're missing that leadership that you need from a seasoned experienced Solid Waste director to lead that department. We need to bring a seasoned veteran that understands Solid Waste back. I think that's hurting us badly by not having that now. The NET offices. Maybe you're correct, they've gotten worst in the service they've provided in the last six months. But I will tell you that, even before that, they've been what I will call not even a paper tiger. They've been a paper pussy cat. Just no sufficient resources that have been assigned to the NETS. The idea ... the concept is great on paper but, in reality, it's very ineffective because we have not assigned the personnel and then, in fact, in some NETS the personnel that are assigned... what few ... are limited in their knowledge of the positions that they have. And I'm not talking necessarily the director level. I'm talking at inspectors that are being forced upon directors from that office and so on and when you have one or two per office, if you're as lucky to have that, and you have someone that, you know, wants you to go at 30 percent instead of putting a hundred percent effort or they're limited, you know, it hampers our City's operations tremendously. Then, again, you have some people out there that ... I mean, they'll put a hundred and 10 percent. But then we're not giving them the resources to be able to exercise that energy. One thing that we need to do today ... I mean, we ... if we want more money for this department or that department, we got to find the money. I mean, it's ... we either... there's only two ways of doing it. Either we take monies from one area to bring to another or we have to find new and recurring revenue. You know, I don't see any other way that we could do it. Vice Chairman Plummer: Oh, I disagree. There is a third way and that's a cut. Mayor Carollo: Well, that's the same way. Vice Chairman Plummer: Cut is almost recurring. 30 June 30, 1998 Mayor Carollo: Well, but ... thafs exactly what I'm saying, J.L. I mean, you could cut ... that' s taking it from one area to bring it into another. And you do have some areas that you could still cut. In a lot of the departments that we're complaining about that we don't have enough resources and we don't, in each of those departments you have individuals that, if they -- you know, and I will say it, not as many as we once have because the bulk of the City's work force are dedicated, they're hard-working, thank God, that we have such fine professionals as those but, unfortunately, you still have those kinds of appointments of people that, you know, were placed in positions not because of what they knew and, you know, I saw more of those come in during the four months that I was away than when I came back, up until June 1 st, than I really cared to have seen. Still coming into our payroll. Now, getting into being fiscal conservative ... and I apologize to my colleague that I'm bringing this up here now. Unfortunately, since the last meeting, I haven't had the opportunity to really meet with the Budget Director like I would have liked to, because I had many other things that I've had to attend to also for the City. But one area here that I see an increase of almost a hundred and sixty thousand dollars ($160,000.00)... be exact, a hundred and fifty nine thousand one hundred and twenty-six dollars ($159,126.00)... is our own respective budgets with our own offices, mine and all of yours. For instance, last year's budget in my office including with the increase of salaries to the Executive Mayor's new role, has gone up in the proposed budget for fiscal year '99 from 400 and 45 thousand 600 and 28 dollars to 400 and nick thousand 2 84. An increase of 50 thousand stick 56. At the same time, in all of your respective o fices, it's gone from eight hundred and seventy-five thousand 600 and ninet34our dollars that was this fiscal year to nine hundred 84 thousand one and scored. That's an increase of one hundred and eight thousand 400 and $70.00. Now... Vice Chairman Plummer: Mr. Mayor, may I ask a question? Mayor Carollo: Yes. Vice Chairman Plummer: Is that when there were four Commissioners and now five? Mayor Carollo: No. The eight hundred and seventy-five thousand 600 and another dollars is the budget for the five Commissioners. Vice Chairman Plummer: Five Commissioners and a Mayor. Mayor Carollo: Five Commissioners. Commissioner Teele: But see, Mr. Mayor, the problem was the transition. This Commission never allocated for the fifth Commissioner. Mayor Carollo: Yes, I did. This is including the fifth Commissioner. Commissioner Teele: No. Mayor Carollo: The eight seventy-five Commissioner Teele: When you ... the last year's budget... Vice Chairman Plummer: We never did. Commissioner Teele: The last year's budget was short from the very beginning and... Mayor Carollo: The... Commissioner, if I may. And, I mean... Vice Chairman Plummer: The only... Mayor Carollo: Like ... like former Commissioner, Commissioner Gibson used to say, black and white don't lie. The amount allocated to each member of the Commission... and, you know, I'm hurting myself because the increase they are giving me is by over fifty thousand. 31 June 30, 1998 Commissioner Teele: Yeah, but we gave a second increase three months ago to the Mayor's office. Mayor Carollo: The only increase that was given to Mayor's office was the increase to make up the consecutive Mayor salary that was given. That's the only increase. Commissioner Teele: No, no, no. We gave an increase ... we gave a mid -year adjustment increase.... Vice Chairman Plummer: That's correct. Commissioner Teele: How much was the increase we gave mid -year for the office of the Mayor? Mayor Carollo: That was for the executive Mayor. Vice Chairman Plummer: That's right. Commissioner Teele: How ... what was the amount of the increase? Mr. Parekh: The original adopted budget was three hundred and sixty-eight thousand dollars ($368,000). We put in December hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) from special program account and it was formalized officially in the month of March. That should have brought the amount to four sixty-eight. However, we cut from four sixty-eight to four forty-five. Commissioner Teele: Four forty-five. Mayor Carollo: So you cut twenty thousand off of that, yeah. Mr. Parekh: We cut approximately 20, twenty-three thousand dollars ($23,000) Commissioner Teele: Yeah, but it went from 368 to 445. Mr. Parekh: Yes, sir. Commissioner Teele: OK. Vice Chairman Plummer: And how much was it for the five Commissioners? Mr. Parekh: That was for the salary for the... Mayor Carollo: But the reason... and ... lefs... hold on, Dipak. The reason that that was done, not because I requested any increase, not because the previous Mayor did... Commissioner Teele: No, it was done before you. This was done in December. This has nothing to do with you, Joe. Mayor Carollo: It had to do with the change of the charter... Commissioner Teele: Bingo. Mayor Carollo: ...for the Executive Mayor. Commissioner Teele: That's the point we just made. The whole budget was never adjusted to account for an executive Mayor and a fifth Commissioner. Vice Chairman Plummer: Only for the physical things that were done to make the new office for the new Commissioner is what we approved. Mayor Carollo: OK. Gentleman, let me start again so that I ... and, again, I'm not bringing this up out hurt 32 June 30, 1998 anyone individually because I will be hurting myself and my office budget the most and the ones that are probably jumping up and down mad with me, more than anybody else, are my own employees in my office. As you know, the Mayor's office has a sufficient budget to hire approximately 10 people. I only have five that are being hired because I would have been ... if I would have followed the steps of my predecessor, I would have had a hundred percent deficit by the end of this fiscal year. So, I've cut back tremendously, where I'm working with five people, one less that a former chairman of this Commission was working with when I arrived here. I don't know if a single Mayor of a major urban city in America that has only five people to work with. Commissioner Teele: Yes, but that's not fair to you or the citizens of the city, Mr. Mayor Mayor Carollo: But I ... we're making due with it. And next fiscal year, when it begins October 1 st, then I can go back to the approximately 10 or so positions or allocated within the budget. And, you know, if I have somehow gotten by with five now, I mean, we're going to be jumping for joy with 10 October 1st. Commissioner Sanchez has gone through the same problem and I could really feel for him. And I think we found a way to help him out so that he could have at least some dollars to pay for staff until the new fiscal year comes, but the point that I'm making and tried to, you know, bring everything out on the table because, I mean, if we're going to be very strong and demanding with departments of this city, with our own work force, and we should, even though they've been very gracious in coming forth and helping the City, we still need to be strong and physically conservative but we also need to do the same thing with ourselves. Now, what is the total amount for each Commission's office is allocated, Dipak? Mr. Parekh: For next fiscal year? Mayor Carollo: Not next fiscal year. For each individual offices. It has to be seen. Mr. Parekh: Yes, sir. Mayor Carollo: For each office on this fiscal year. Mr. Parekh: Hundred seventy-five one thirty-eight. Mayor Carollo: Hundred seventy-five one thirty-eight. Now... Vice Chairman Plummer: Which is an increase of what? Mayor Carollo: A hundred seventy-five thousand one thirty-eight, which is an increase slightly from what it was the year before that and the year before that. Vice Chairman Plummer: I mean, what is the increase... Mr. Parekh: Two... Mayor Carollo: Thousand. Now, the point that I'm making is, if you take this one seventy-five one thirty-eight. Vice Chairman Plummer: Two thousand. Mayor Carollo: ...you're at about eight hundred and seventy-five thousand plus dollars, which is what exactly the budget for the Commission offices allocated this year, eight hundred and seventy-five thousand six hundred and ninety-four dollars ($875,694). So the point that I'm making is that we've been working this year on the budget that we should have been working on that was approved, where each Commissioner was given the same to their offices. Now, we're jumping from that to nine hundred and eighty-four thousand one hundred and sixty-four dollars ($984,164), which is an increase of eight hundred and eight thousand four hundred seventy dollars ($808,470). 33 June 30, 1998 Vice Chairman Plummer: Not eight hundred. Mayor Carollo: Yeah, one hundred and eight thousand dollars ($108,000), plus change, which is an increase of over twenty thousand per each Commission office. Now, I'm not saying that ... you know, I'm at fault, you're at fault. I guess this is what the previous administration was working on, the Budget Director, just kept that ball rolling. Probably none of you really realized that. In fact, I doubt it if, you know, any of you realized that you were getting that much of an increase in your budget. Certainly, you weren't planning for it. I wasn't planning for that increase in my budget. But what I'm saying is that this is an area that we can and we should cut back in. Because this is not going to hurt any of us. Vice Chairman Plummer: I'd like to know where the twenty thousand increase is. Commissioner Teele: Mr. Mayor, let me tell you. The Commission ... I will vote ... I will, obviously, go along with whatever the Commission does, but for this issue a hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) to be raised to the level of a three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) budget, I think speaks volumes of what's wrong with the City of Miami. Mayor Carollo: Well... Commissioner Teele: I have ... I have not asked personnel for a ... for the details of the resume of any of my colleagues' staff, but let me tell you, I've not seen any accountants, I've not seen any budget analysts. One of the reasons that government should work ... and one of the problems that the City of Miami has, I think, is we don't have enough ... we don't have enough people with financial discipline and financial accountability or, for that matter, systems ability. When a computer goes down in this building, with the Commission's office, everybody's calling the computer office. When a computer goes down at the clerk in the city ... County Commission office, you call Commission Support. I mean, the fact of the matter is, one of the reasons that we're bush-league is we treat ourselves bush-league. I don't know who you all have doing your budget analysis. I'm forced to wind up doing 80 percent of my analysis myself because I have not had the budget to hire staff to do that. My staff is primarily —and I don't mean to displace or impugn anyone on my staff. I love them all and they do a great job but the fact of the matter is, is that they're much more constituency oriented. This Commission... and I think Dipak, if he will be totally honest, needs to acknowledge... and the Manager, if he will be totally honest, needs to acknowledge that the problem that the City of Miami has right now is a failure to have accountability in check and balance. God bless the Oversight Board. The Oversight Board is the only structure in place right now that forces an Estimating Conference, that forces a procedure in any government, in any government in America. There is a legislative, executive check and balance. There is no executive check... legislative and executive check and balance. The reason that we have the Governor's Oversight Board doing our job for us is because we don't have the appropriate staff. There needs to be a legislative budget office. I'd be willing to give up my twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) or whatever, if we're going to go in and set up systems so that there's going to be a check and balance. The reason ... I'm embarrassed that Commission Sanchez or anyone else would be put into a position where he doesn't have the budget staffing because the budget was over spent. Off of that matter, I'm embarrassed that the Mayor's office was over spent, even though I was will tell you ... I'll say it right here, that the Mayor's office was over budget, Mayor Suarez' office, with all due respect, and was argued down by the Management that it was fine. Now we're hearing that the budget was over spent. The fact of the matter is, if we don't move now to establish systems of check and balances, we're not going to make it. And cutting the only thing that is not a part of the executive branch of government, the Mayor, the Manager and the entire government, ninety-nine point nine percent of the budget is executive, with exception of the Clerk and the Attorney and this body. And if we don't ensure that you have the requisite dollars to provide for a check and balance, you may as well just get one big stamp that says rubber stamp and move on because the fact of the matter is, is that a Commission is not an executive and we need to function like a legislative body. Everybody on this ... on this dais needs to have an accountant or a budget analysis expert or a system's expert on your staff and if you don't have it, OK, it's not a function of the fact that we don't care. You don't have the budget. We cannot hire that level of attention. In ... if..Natasha Millian or someone on the County Commission's computer goes down, they don't have to call OCSIS (Office of Communication Services and Information Systems). They pick up the phone and they call the Legislative Support Director because they may have things in their record they don't want the budget ... the System's Director and his staff to see. There is no legislate... there is no distinction between executive and 34 June 30, 1998 legislative functioning in this city and I'm telling you, Commissioners, you all are making ... we have made a big mistake from the very beginning that the Mayor didn't even have a budget, a salary, allocated in last year's budget shows how much forethought we gave to this Executive Mayor concept and so, Mr. Mayor ... I mean, I'm willing to reduce the legislative budget as it relates to me, as it relates to my commission budget, as long as we're going to move into an executive, legislative form of government and, as far as I'm concerned, the first thing we need to agree, is that we need a legislative budget officer, the person and the place where once the Oversight Board is removed, which I hope will be removed this year, that the Budget Office and the Manager and the Legislature, along with the Clerk's Office and the Attorneys Office go to and ... on a quarterly basis and do budget estimating and the same thing that goes on in Tallahassee every month. This is not anything unique to a democracy, to a separation of power branch ... a notion of government. This is government, the way it works in this country. And there is no legislative... there is no legislative prerogative or predetermination from a competent budget sense that I've been able to detect on this Commission and I think that is one of the reasons that this Commission has allowed the City to get in so much trouble, is that we are, with all due respect, forced to rely on the Budget Director and the Manager and no disrespect to the current Manager and current Budget Director or the previous Managers and the previous Budget Directors. But, folks, that's not the way it works in America. There should be a legislative check and balance and if you're going to gut the legislative budget, what's you're basically doing is simply saying, we don't want to have a government that functions on a legislative check and balance basis. We want to have something else. And I don't think that's the right step. I am prepared to move the twenty thousand dollars ($1,000) from my budget and all the other Commissioner's budget for the purpose of hiring a legislative Budget Director. Vice Chairman Plummer: Woa, woa, woa, woa. Speak for yourself now. Commissioner Teele: Well, look, J.L... I mean... Vice Chairman Plummer: I want to know... Commissioner Teele: We're a hundred thousand dollars into a three hundred fifty million dollar ($350,000,000) budget and we ... you know... Vice Chairman Plummer: Before you go saying let's cut, I want to know one question. Now, I just checked my budget and I'm at a hundred and seventy-two thousand dollars ($172,000) and I'm in budget of what I was budgeted for. Now, Mr. Dipak, what is the additional twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) that you have put into my budget? What am I buying? What am I buying that I don't know? What has changed? Because, according to my staff, I'm still at 172. Mayor Carollo: And they're correct. And that's the point that I was trying to make. All of you are within budget, by the way. There's not one of you that's not within budget. The only problem that we have up here, to no fault of his own, is with Commissioner Sanchez' office and it's not his fault. Vice Chairman Plummer: But he's not a hundred and eight above. Commissioner Teele: Yes, he's way above. Commissioner Sanchez: I inherited that problem. Vice Chairman Plummer: Well, hey, tell me where that extra twenty is that's in my budget or the hundred and eight total and I might agree with Teele. But, at this particular point, I'm still at 172. Mr. Parekh: That's for this fiscal year. Vice Chairman Plummer: That's right. Now, you've increased me to what next fiscal year? Mr. Parekh: In your staff ...some of your staff came during the middle of the fiscal year, so you could stay within that particular budget. 35 June 30, 1998 Vice Chairman Plummer: That's correct. Mr. Parekh: When you annualize that particular salary for next fiscal year, obviously... there's two issues here. One, is that we will be around hundred and ninety thousand dollars ($190,000) for your particular office and secondly, we got to equalize all the Commissioners. There are certain Commission offices over here who are going to considerably less than that number. Mayor Carollo: But, Dipak, if I can and I'm sorry for interrupting you. If there is one offices within the Commission that has a major difference from the others... Mr. Parekh: Right, sir. Mayor Carollo: I'm not talking to respected chairmen that have staff from other semi•city agencies or agencies in the City of Miami. I'm talking about that this Commission placed in Commissioner Plummer a major responsibility, that's for all the city, that he could explain it better than I can, what he's being been doing and we've been seeing results, then the... Vice Chairman Plummer: Mr. Mayor, I said that from the very beginning. Mayor Carollo: Yeah. There was one staffer, I don't know if he's part-time or full-time or what, that was really working for the administration under his guidance and that... Vice Chairman Plummer: CD. Mayor Carollo: ...should not be included in that 20 thousand there. But... Vice Chairman Plummer: She's on CD budget. Mayor Carollo: Yeah. OK. Commissioner Gort: Mr. Mayor, whenever I have a chance, I'd like to... Mayor Carollo: Go ahead, Commissioner. Commissioner Gort: Two things. One on the Department of Vehicles. You have to really train your office because it has couple of cases where people have called my office where their cars have been taken and was not a drug sting and was not a prostitution sting. So that's something we really need to train our police officers for those things. The only thing is ... my own budget, my understanding is, according to the figures that I got from Dipak, my budget this year is going to be a hundred forty-one thousand, so I might have some surplus you might be able to use. Just for information. And I can live very easily with 175. Right now, my understanding is, from the information I got from the Budget Department, my budget for this whole year is going to be one forty-one. So you're welcome to have some of that surplus in your office. Mayor Carollo: And Plummer's original numbers were correct on his, 172 or so. Commissioner Gort: Number two, and this is a message that I want to give to everyone that's here today, the Manager, ourselves, and the unions, we have to be very careful, people. We just passed a ... keeping the City a year ago, but let me tell you, if you were to have an election today about the City, I have lot of doubt whether we can keep this city. So we have to be very careful in the steps that we take here, how we analyze our budget and what do we do for the future budgets and revenues. And if we, as a Commission, is doing ... going through this exercise... Mayor, where you're willing to give up a lot of your revenues and we are being very conservative. I think we have to request that of each department. I know the unions that work with us and they have made it possible for us to stay in business and for the City to maintain but, at the same time, I think the new things that we doing now, like training our staff, making sure that by training our staff, they are going to become more efficient, they're going to become better management. We have to be reliable and people have to understand that we are performing. Because right now, unfortunately, let me tell you, if we were to have election today, we will not have a city. So we have to be very careful in the steps we 36 June 30, 1998 take here. Vice Chairman Plummer: Mr. Manager, what are you ... what is your intention if you continue to be the Manager, to do about the NET office? I think that we're entitled to know what your ideas and what your thoughts are about the NET offices. Mr. Warshaw: Well, let me start off by telling you that all of the enhanced kinds of things that a city does, you can throw out the window if you can't deliver basic services and the NET offices are the vehicle by which we deliver basic services. So again, embarrassingly, if we can't pick up the trash, can't pick up the garbage, we can't deliver the most basic kinds of service, we can't staff the parks, we can't enforce the codes, wheat can't do the things that the NET offices are supposed to do, which are respond to the needs of people, then all of the grandiose things that we really would like to do, we're never going to be able to accomplish, so I can tell you that, if I'm going to be here ... this, again, is part of what I told Commissioner Teele earlier was in the high priority area. It all goes back to cleanliness, goes back to parks, it goes back to the things that people have to have. Then you get into the area of enhancing the things and developing and the things that I think really, you know, the Mayor has articulated we really want to move forward on. But I don't see how the staff can be involved in those kinds of things if we're talking about picking up trash and cleaning the city up. So, number one, I've asked for a full staffing breakdown of all the NET offices, to include who the directors are, what their salaries are, and there's a great disparity between the salaries of NET directors, something I'm really not sure how that occurred. Then looking at what the optimum staffing levels are for a NET office in insuring that all NET offices are staffed the right way, as quickly as possible and that they're trained and that they're available during all hours to service the needs of all citizens. So there's nothing more higher in priority for me than that. Vice Chairman Plummer: Give me an idea of when you will be coming back to this Commission with your suggestions of change? Is it July the 21 st? Mr. Warshaw: Well... Vice Chairman Plummer: Because it's going to take some budget changes. Let me see it. Mr. Warshaw: Let me say this, Commissioner. As each Commission meeting comes, I intend to bring back to you... obviously, we don't have a director in Solid Waste. We don't have directors in certain other departments. We don't have a few NET administrators. There are other key management positions that need to be filled so, hopefully, after the 21 st, I'll be able to take the remaining time of the summer for the September commission meeting to really develop my own strategic plan as to where we're going to go. So rather than saying I'm going to come back on a specific date with everything, it's going to be kind of ongoing because there are so many systemic needs in different areas that ... it's an ongoing process. Commissioner Sanchez: Mr. Mayor. Mayor Carollo: Go ahead, Commissioner Commissioner Sanchez: Thank you. We're all going to have to make sacrifices. We're going to make sacrifices, departments are going to make sacrifices. Everyone's going to have to make sacrifices to make this work. And getting back to the budget, I'm making a sacrifice right now with a bear bone budget. I have a staff that, thanks to Commissioner Plummer lending me someone and the support that I've gotten from everyone, I'm making it through. But I'll tell you one thing, one of the things that we must look at is, the staff that I have, you know who I'm cheating through all this, the constituents who called in and complained because most of the stuff I have to rely on other Commissioners to get it done, so who is basically getting hurt here? It's not me because I'm doing all I can in my staff. But it's the constituents out there that realize that they're willing to pay for the service but they're not getting it and that is a problem, at least in my ... my district office. Vice Chairman Plummer: No bang for the buck. Mr. Manager, I'm going to make you one further suggestion and I don't know if you remember and I remember ... I know that Fire Chief will remember. We established two or three years ago ... Carlos, come up here and tell me. Remind me. We had a corps of 37 June 30, 1998 Firemen who did inspections. And let me tell you, they were fantastic. They started at the north end and they worked their way south. They were going from houses to lots to abandoned cars and I would suggest that you get together with the Fire Department and think about reinstituting that program. They used on -duty ... was I correct? Mr. Carlos Gimenez: Are you talking about the Code Enforcement blitz we did? Vice Chairman Plummer: Yes, yes. Mr. Gimenez: We did that for about a month and we did so many ... we found so many violations that everybody told us to stop because they couldn't handle them all. Vice Chairman Plummer: Well, I'll tell you something. I think it's ready to start again. No, I mean, that doesn't speak extremely high of our Code Enforcement because you will recall, my suggest was that we go do five or six Code Enforcement Boards. OK. But if you've got the personnel to do that kind of inspections, I say do it. Commissioner Teele: Mr. Chairman, if I may, I want to associate myself with the remark of Commissioner Plummer. I really do believe, particularly, this City needs a top to bottom, with some degree of continuity, and not every NET office doing it on their own with ups and downs. The NET office is possibly the best thing that the city has going for it but it also is a two-edged sword. You know, you can get NET offices that are so familiar with people that you have the kind of comment that the Fire chief made and that's not healthy for the City. It's not good for moral. It's not good for anything. I also want to associate myself with Commissioner Gort's remark. And that is, is that if this City were to have a referendum today as to whether or not the people who want to retain the City, I'm not sure what the results would be. But I do think ... again, a large part of what we must do is to deliver basic services and that is, people expect the Fire Department to come when they call. They expect the Police Department to come. But every day they expect the garbage to be picked up. They expect the roads to be paved and/or cleaned. They expect the lots next door...and I really do think that we need to focus on that. Now, Mr. Manager, I want to caution you about the kind of approach that we're taking now, where you say I haven't had an opportunity to review that or, you know, I'm working on that. You see, part of my concern is the fact that we're going to start hearing that more and more and that's why, you know, I had some concerns about let's make sure we ride this thing out to the end of the fiscal year. This Commission voted unanimously, 90 days ago, to instruct the Manager ... the Management that the number one priority, don't hire another person in Community Development, Parks, Police, Fire. The number one priority of this Commission is the NET office. We voted that. The staffing to equalize the salary and all of that. So I get very concerned now when I hear that we're beginning to do that. I mean, Mr. Clerk, you need to dig that resolution up and get it over to the Manager so that he knows what his Assistant Manager and Department heads have been instructed to do. We even instructed you to take people from other departments, if necessary, and get the NET offices to a one hundred percent compliment. I commend you for sort of thinking outside of the box because I think the real issue, are the NETs properly organized? Are the staffing? Do we have too many, too few. And so ... I mean, that was not within the resolution and I think that is the kind of approach that we need and I commend you for doing that. But I want to bring to your attention two things: Number one, I would not expect you to assign, as a NET Administrator, even on an interim basis, someone in Little Havana, that doesn't speak Spanish. That's not a racist comment. I don't think the NET Administrator in Little Havana could do an adequate job or, for that matter, Flagami or several other portions. And I would hope that you would give equal consideration to all of these. We don't need political people in these NET offices. We need professionals. Vice Chairman Plummer: I agree. Commissioner Teele: We need competent, professionals with a long record and background of City of Miami municipal services. I think that's very, very important for you to consider those... that factor. And the final thing in this regard is ... I believe that Commissioner Plummer is exactly right when he continues to say that we really do have to do these basic services. And I would hope that if we are looking at reprogramming some of the Police overtime, I would hope that we would really focus in on basic services because I think that's what's very, very important. In that regard, I have two questions of the Budget Director and the Manager and that is, as it relates to the Financial Advisor, has the Financial Advisor been consulted 38 June 30, 1998 on any of the budget recommendations? And I'm particularly concerned about the requirement and the request that the utility tax that is guaranteeing the convention center or the ... whafs that thing over there at the Hyatt? Vice Chairman Plummer: Convention Center, the parking lot? Commissioner Teele: What is that thing called. Mr. Parekh: The Knight Center? Commissioner Teele: The Knight Center. That is being ... that' s being guaranteed with the utility tax bond, right, the proceeds? Mr. Parekh: Yes. Utility services. Commissioner Teele: And one of the decisions... one of the considerations we made in November/December was that we would try to remove that bond with a refinancing and ... or maybe even a transactional sale that would remove that ... has that been discussed with the financial advisor at all? Mayor Carollo: J.L., can you take the Chairmanship? Let me bring you up-to-date on that, Commissioner. Vice Chairman Plummer: Sure. Mayor Carollo: That's in our Five -Year Plan. We're supposed to... Commissioner Teele: We're supposed to have done it this year. Mayor Carollo: End of...no. In the first Five -Year Plan that was approved... Commissioner Teele: Right. Mayor Carollo: ...by prior administration, that's been kept in the different revisions, that is something that this City has committed in doing, not in next fiscal year but in the fiscal year 2000. Commissioner Teele: OK. Mayor Carollo: However, I will say on the record, that it is my intention to move forward on this in this coming fiscal year... beginning now and finish it in fiscal year'99, one fiscal year ahead. Vice Chairman Plummer: That's four million a year. Mayor Carollo: Or more. Commissioner Teele: The question is, has the Financial Advisor ... what is the role of the Financial Advisor's advice in this budget document? Have you met with him? Who is the Financial Advisor? What's the role here that we're playing? Mr. Warshaw: I'm not sure. Mr. Parekh: No, I have not met with any Financial Advisors. Commissioner Teele: Yeah, we hired somebody. I remember... Mr. Warshaw: I'm not sure who you're referring to. Mayor Carollo: Who is our Financial Advisor? I did see a check for twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) that was awarded with no bids but...when I...when I wasn't here... 39 June 30, 1998 Vice Chairman Plummer: Oh. Woa, woa, woa, woa. The Financial Advisor was under Suarez and that was an individual who was brought in on a special... Commissioner Teele: That was Pru ... (Prudential). But remember, the financial ... you know, I really wish we could depersonalize...we're talking about a city. We're not talking about a person. Prudential was our financial advisor and...I mean, there are any number of financial advisors. I just need to know, have we conferred with the Financial Advisor on any of this? Vice Chairman Plummer: We don't have one. Mr. Parekh: No. Commissioner Teele: Have we conferred with the Financial Advisor... Mayor Carollo: Prudential was not being paid, by the way. Vice Chairman Plummer: Don't have one? And everyone wonder why we're in trouble. Mayor Carollo: Prudential was not being paid. Commissioner Teele: On the Off -Street Parking, we didn't confer with them on that either, did we? Mr. Parekh: No. We're working with Off -Street Parking. I think, at the last City Commission, we did hire an attorney. Commissioner Teele: Well, just so that the Management is aware, I would very much like ... before anybody brings anything forward on Off -Street Parking...that we have a professional Financial Advisor's advice on that. And even if its on a ... on a one-shot basis, sort of like a bond counsel. We need to function, you know, as a municipal... municipality that is the largest city in the state of Florida and we need to make sure that we're doing this in consultation with the best practices and procedures that go along with ... with this and I don't care ... you know, I don't even have anybody. I don't want to have any comments with anybody. Get a Financial Advisor that the Mayor of the City is comfortable with, OK, to sigrroff on this agreement. Vice Chairman Plummer: Nobody authorized it. Commissioner Teele: But make sure that they're a competent Financial Advisor working on Wall Street, all right. And, finally, in this regard, along the line of the financial advisor issues, there was also a discussion in the Five -Year Plan last year that with the Winn Dixie sale, that there would be a discussion of consultation with the Financial Advisor on the strategic plan to reimburse for the sale of the arena. Has anything been done on that? Mayor Carollo: To reimburse for what now? Commissioner Teele: The reimbursement that the Winn Dixie sales proceeds would be considered for the reimbursements of the funds from the sale of the ... from the transfer of the arena from theCRA to the City. Mayor Carollo: You're talking about the land? Commissioner Teele: The land, the underlying land. Mayor Carollo: Underneath the arena that the City had given toCRA and the CRA give back to the City? Commissioner Teele: No. That Urban Mass Transportation gave the funds to the City for redevelopment and the City was then required to transfer it to the re development authority. 40 June 30, 1998 Mayor Carollo: Commissioner, what I would suggest is that ... I don't know what transpired in the four months that I wasn't here in any Commission resolution but on your other statement, I would suggest to you bring that documentation from Washington that stated precisely that we had to reimburse theCRA... Commissioner Teele: No, I didn't say that. I didn't say that you had to. That was ... that's never been ... the question here is not that you had to. The question simply, has there been any consideration given as a part of the strategic plan, which is one of the things that is listed in Five -Year Plan, is that consideration would be given to reimbursement of the CRA for the transfer based upon the sale of Winn Dixie and I just ask, is that ... is anybody looking at that? Mr. Parekh: No. Because I think the monies were used to balance fiscal year 1998 budgets, sir. Commissioner Teele: That's a very good answer. Vice Chairman Plummer: Mr. Teele, are you going to make a motion? Because I would like to instruct the Management... and I don't want to take your thunder. Commissioner Teele: No, go ahead. Vice Chairman Plummer: ...to establish within the Commission a Budget Analyst individual for the City Commission and I would like that to be brought back to this... Mayor Carollo: If I may, Commissioner, since you have the gavel... Vice Chairman Plummer: Oh, OK. Mayor Carollo: I think its fine and I have no problems with that being done. The problem being is that I'm the one of the Charter also places responsibility of having to give a yearly budget address that's to be given between July I st and the end of September of this year, which puts a lot of responsibilities on me, on the budget. I am also in the same situation where I don't have anyone that I can go to in my own office to have the check and balances. What I do is, I depend on having a competent professional City Manager that I can work with, that includes a director of budget, that also can work with the Manager and myself in getting answers, so we need to ... I think this hits both sides of the government on that with one but, beyond that ... if I may answer some of their questions that were brought up ... areas that are going to help all of us in getting the right numbers and having the sufficient check and balances within government, that hadn't been taken care of in the past but are now going to soon be taken care of, is the hiring of a Finance Director, which we don't have one. The hiring of an Internal Auditor, which we don't have one. Commissioner Teele: Very important. Mayor Carollo: And the recommendations that the Blue Ribbon Committee that I had created and came back with a recommendations that the Oversight Board has asked us to follow, gave, and that is that we need to fill some one hundred forty-one mid -management positions within the City Government and that's going to go a long way into resolving so many of the problems that we have been hearing here today by having a financial director, an internal auditor and those positions that are contemplated in this budget to be filled during the coming year. Commissioner Regalado: Mr. Mayor. Vice Chairman Plummer: Mr. Regalado. Mayor Carollo: He's chairing the meeting. Commissioner Regalado: Oh, OK. Vice Chairman Plummer: Mr. Regalado. 41 June 30, 1998 Commissioner Regalado: Just want to make a brief comment on the budget of the Commissioners. I ... I'm ready and am willing to also follow Commissioner Teele's offer to give back part of the ... of all increased budget that I was allocated last year. This commission gave me permission to separate ten thousand dollars ($10,000) of my budget to help the people that were to be affected by the Welfare Reform and by the Immigration Reform Bill. Luckily, US Congress helped those people and those ten thousand dollars ($10,000) never came back, which I don't mind. I am willing ... I will be willing, Mr. Manager, to give you right now those twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) only if you fix the fax in my office because it has been broken for two weeks. We were told that the person... Commissioner Gort: Buy one. Commissioner Regalado: That there ... yeah. That there was only one person in the City who could fix the fax and that person was on vacation and then that ... that person could not come in the afternoon or something like that. Thanks to the City Clerk's Office we've been getting and sending faxes for the past two weeks, but that's okay. I just want to make a very brief comment about ... and I want to share with you, the members of the Commission, the Manager and the Mayor, a certain things that I believe that it would help the City. I think ... and, Mr. Manager, there's two or three things that I'm going to point out. Doesn't have to do anything at all with you. I will say that yesterday I called you with a traffic light situation and I know that this is nothing important, having a traffic light out of order, but you took care immediately and I really thank you very much. But having said that, I think ... And Mr. Dipak, I told you yesterday and the day before, coming September I will not be participating in any increases of the Fire fee and other fees because LA think ... and I agree totally with Commissioner Gort when he says that if you go out on the street now, the people of Miami are really frustrated because of the fees and the situation of the taxes and the perception that the only thing that we do is to raise taxes but that! s... that's not the point right now. The point is that I think that if we are not business friendly, we never, ever are going to solve our problem. Because if we want to solve our problems by going to the pockets of the people of Miami, we are completely wrong. And I will tell you that why we have to be business friendly, and this is in your district, J.L. I know ... I know a man who was hired about five or six months ago by a Pompano Beach Company. That company sells restaurant equipment. And this man, who lives in the City of Miami, convinced these people that they should come to Miami and open a big warehouse because Latin America was a big market. They did. They went to an empty warehouse on North Miami Avenue and 12th Street and opened the business. But everything was almost ready. Last week rains came in, that drainage was apparently stuck on the corner. They called the City. Never got a response. They call again. Never got a response. So the rain kept falling and the business cannot open in the next... Vice Chairman Plummer: Was it after five o'clock or Saturday or Sunday? Commissioner Regalado: It was in the morning ... in the afternoon. And the reason ... well, the fact is now that they have to fix the place because it was flooded and the rocks and everything was flooded. Mr. Manager, I know you're doing, I mean, above and beyond the call of duty but I'm just telling about the culture of being friendly to the business people. I ... about a month ago, I brought to this Commission —and it was approved ... an emergency ordinance for valet barking in the Coral Way corridor. The NET office was informed by at least three restaurants that they wanted to do valet parking. J.L., you remember, you all approved that? We charged one thousand dollars ($1,000) to each restaurant for valet parking. The ordinance was passed, was in place, and it has been a nightmare for the people to get all of the paperwork. They've been about three weeks talking to different departments. They cannot get anything done with the paperwork. Vice Chairman Plummer: Yes. Commissioner Regalado: I will tell you another instances of business friendly that people from Paseo in Coral Way and 34th Avenue, they have plans to buy the lot. Remember that ... about almost two years ago we decided, J.L., to say, well, demolish that building that was across Paseo, building that burned. Vice Chairman Plummer: Yes. 42 June 30, 1998 Commissioner Regalado: So did and it was demolished. Now, the people from Paseo really want to do something with that lot. They want to build a huge parking lot, but they need to have a crossing. They want to have lights in the median in Coral Way. They've been talking to people from the City and the State for about five months. They have not accomplished anything. I think that what we need to do is, Mr. Manager, to have the culture of being business friendly. I mean, business is not the enemy. They're not adversary. They're here to bring us money and if a guy wants to come from Pompano Beach to open a place, we should roll the red carpet. If somebody wants to valet park, you know, we should give We are getting ... we will be getting with that ordinance thirty-six thousand dollars ($36,000) a year only in the Coral Way corridor. Vice Chairman Plummer: Tomas, you know one of the most important things we need in this city? Is day care. We need day care. I have here a card of a lady who has been trying to establish in the Building Department. She has been there four times to see if she can open up a day care at a given location and on four times they've told her every time, we have looked and see more. Come back again. Come back again. Come back again. And this lady is saying to me, I got the feeling you guys don't want me, that you don't want day care. And so... Commissioner Regalado: Well, I tell you, J.L., the people from Paseo, which ... by the way, Mr. Manager, I went there because they want to give the Police Department an office so the officers ... and it's free, by the way. Vice Chairman Plummer: More staff, more phones, more paperwork. Commissioner Regalado: They would have bought the lot across the street about five months ago, had not been for the delay and the delay. I think that my comment was only, basically, that we need to be business friendly and that if we go the route of the business, we don't have to go the route of punishing the homeowners and the condominium owners and the residents of the City of Miami. And that's all ... that' s all what I have to do. Vice Chairman Plummer: All right. Mr.... Commissioner Regalado: If you fix my fax, I really appreciate it. Mr. Warshaw: I'll fix your fax without the twenty thousand dollars ($20,000). Vice Chairman Plummer: Don't worry about it. Mine hasn't worked for 10 days. Can't buy the paper. Commissioner Teele: Mr. Chairman? Vice Chairman Plummer: Mr. Teele. Commissioner Teele: For purposes of bringing this to a close, I would move the support of the budget, the revised Five -Year Fiscal Plan. Vice Chairman Plummer: They're handing out here a thing called resolution, with attachments, accepting the City of Miami's revised Five -Year Plan. Commissioner Teele: Well, I apologize. But whoever prepared this, should move it. Vice Chairman Plummer: ...for the fiscal year... Mayor Carollo: City Attorney. Vice Chairman Plummer: ... 1998 through and including fiscal year 2003. Dated June 30th, 1998. Attached hereto and incorporated herein. Commissioner Teele: Unless there's someone that you want to make the motion, I would so move. 43 June 30, 1998 Mr. Vilarello: It's 1999 through 2003. Commissioner Teele: Right. Mayor Carollo: Commissioner Teele made the motion. Is there a second? Vice Chairman Plummer: Is there a second? Is there a second? Commissioner Regalado: Second. Vice Chairman Plummer: Seconded by Regalado. Is there further discussion? Commissioner Teele: Discussion. All of the previous... Commissioner Sanchez: Discussion. Commissioner Teele: ... management core initiatives have been included? Mr. Parekh: Yes, sir. Commissioner Teele: The elimination of the item relating to Page 19 was removed, is that correct? I would ... I would move to strike, coordinate with a single agency and reporting structure for the City's Economic Development Efforts. I think we're moving in the right direction right now with the Community Development but let me tell you, we're way out of... Mr. Parekh: Commission, this was in the early ofFive-Year Plan as well. Commissioner Teele: Yeah. Well, let me tell you, we're not out of the woods on this. Mr. Parekh: OK. Commissioner Teele: Community Development Plan yet. I mean, the more we hear about it, the more problems that we're seeing. In particular, I think that the idea of having a single focus... single coordination ... if you would strike the word or a single reporting structure coordinate within a single agency for the City's economic development efforts, I don't have a problem with that, but I don't want Miami Capital and these other activities that are being brought under a single structure. Coordinating, yes. Reporting, no. I would ask that that be stricken, or a single reporting structure, so that it would read coordinating with a single agency for the City's economic development activities. Is that acceptable to the Manager. Mr. Warshaw: Yes. Commissioner Teele: OK. The other issue relates to whether or not this plan is satisfactory from the Oversight Board's point of view. I'm aware that Mayor is still looking. I commend the Mayor. I drive by here some nights at nine o'clock. I don't know if the Mayor's in trouble with his wife but he's... Mayor Carollo: I assure you I am not. Commissioner Teele: But he's spending a lot of hours here at City Hall. Vice Chairman Plummer: I'm the only guy don't have to worry about that one. Commissioner Teele: But this is very serious. But I think this budget is a little too thin. I know the Mayor privately said that. I don't know ... you know, sometimes you say something, it gets reported so, you know, the good thing gets negative. But I need, Mr. Manager, Mr. Director, for you to tell me that the ... what is the statutory contingency required by the State Oversight Board? Is it three or four? 44 June 30, 1998 Mr. Parekh: Four point three six million. Commissioner Teele: Four point what? Mr. Parekh: Four point three six million, built up of three components. Commissioner Teele: OK. So that's built in. Now, what... Mr. Warshaw: That's contemplated in this budget. Commissioner Teele: I understand. Now, what is the contingency in this budget? Mr. Parekh: On top of the state mandated two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) for fiscal year 1990. Commissioner Teele: I got to tell you something. That's not enough money and, you know, we had seven fifty last year and the various Commissioners up here will be the first ones to say, can you find the money for this, that and the other? I mean, I heard it ... starting with the death of Mas Canosas, the untimely death of him. We looked for money to pay overtime for Police, which was very appropriate, for Haitian Independence Day, you know, and while I'm not wanting to get into fee waivers and all of that, I'm telling you, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) for a budget of three hundred and fifty million dollars ($350,000,000) is something that I just question, whether or not that is a satisfactory or sufficient amount of money. And I would add ... I would say that rhetorically to the Mayor and ask the Mayor to take that under advisement. As it relates to the Solid Waste ... and the big problem in this budget is the Solid Waste deficit. I mean, we've got to continue to reduce that. How much money are we charging now to send out the homeowner bills a year? Mr. Parekh: The yearly fee is going to be one hundred and eighty-eight dollars ($188) for this fiscal year. Commissioner Teele: No, that's the total fee. Mr. Parekh: Yes. Commissioner Teele: What's the administrative fee? Mr. Parekh: The three dollars ($3.00) semi-annual, so six dollars ($6.00) a year. Commissioner Teele: Six dollars ($6.00) a year. How much is postage? Mr. Parekh: Anywhere from 29 to 32 cents. Commissioner Teele: So, in other words, the man hours that we put on for this are about two dollars ($2.00), two -thirty, two -forty, two -sixty? Mr. Parekh: Minimum. Commissioner Teele: What's the real number, Dipak? I mean, you know, this is not a science. This is more than art form but what's the real number on the administrative fee? Mr. Parekh: I think the overall administrative fees for sending out bill is probably around a ten dollar ($10.00) region per year. Vice Chairman Plummer: And we have one of the worst billing services in the world. Mr. Parekh: Now, that excludes any computer information technologies cost in there. Commissioner Teele: Yeah, but... well... so ifs ... if you include computers and all that. OK. 45 June 30, 1998 Vice Chairman Plummer: Can I give you an example? Mr. Parekh: You can double it. Commissioner Teele: Let me tell you what I would like to do. I would like for the Mayor and the Manager to take under advisement whether or not to ... as a part of the September budget to bring the fee, the administrative fee of mailing out the bill to the actual cost. One eightyeight is an awkward number to divide anyway so if it ... the numbers 188 is a total bill going out? Mr. Parekh: No. One eighty-eight plus the six dollars ($6.00). Commissioner Teele: So what's that? Mr. Parekh: One ninety-four. Commissioner Teele: All right, you're good in math. One ninety-four. I'm not good at math. I don't... Vice Chairman Plummer: Now we're in trouble. Commissioner Teele: OK. So if it were an additional six dollars ($6.00), it would be even an two hundred. Now, I could figure that out. You got your two hundred ... one hundred dollars ($100.), two hundred dollars ($200). OK. So what we will be talking about ... what is ... what would six dollars ($6.00) equate to? Mr. Parekh: Roughly around two -fifty—two seventy-five. Two hundred and seventy-five thousand. Commissioner Teele: All right. Vice Chairman Plummer: There's a motion on the floor. Is there further discussion? If not, the public hearings will be in September. Commissioner Gort: Discussion. Vice Chairman Plummer: Mr. Gort. Commissioner Gort: My understanding,'W99 there's no increase in the fee. The first increase you project is to be from '99 to 2000? Mr. Parekh: Fiscal year 2000 would be the first... Commissioner Gort: So we have a whole year to look for substitute? Mr. Parekh: Absolutely. Commissioner Gort: Thank you. Vice Chairman Plummer: Further discussion? Hearing none... Commissioner Teele: Hold it. Vice Chairman Plummer: Mr. Teele. Commissioner Teele: I really would like to hear from the Mayor. Mayor Carollo: Thank you, Commissioner. Vice Chairman Plummer: I wasn't excluding him. 46 June 30, 1998 Mayor Carollo: Commissioner Plummer's still chairing. You are correct, Commissioner, that I do have a major concern on fiscal year '99. Given the Oversight Board ... even though the Committee approved the budget four to two, the Estimating Conference Committee approved it four to two, I am concerned that the sixty-eight thousand dollars ($68,000) is a little too short of a surplus that we're showing them and, frankly, for a city this size, that's nothing at all to have as a surplus. So I am still working in presenting them with some additional dollar amounts that 1 feel pretty confident that we could find before the end of this fiscal year. What I don't know and what I can't guarantee you is, if we're going to be able to finalize those transactions before they get to see this, before they meet on July 21 st or 22nd... and my only concern is that, I don't want to be in a situation that because we haven't put down another couple of million dollars ($2,000,000) that they're going to reject it and we go back to the drawing board. So I would feel a lot more comfortable by having some kind of leeway that we could show them a couple of more dollars in recurring revenue for next fiscal year in time. Maybe we could show it to them before the meeting of the 22nd but, as I said to you, we might not be able to until after the 22nd and, therefore, they're going to have to either approve this budget or not based on what they have before them. And it's cutting it real close, with only a surplus of sixty-eight thousand dollars ($68,000). Now, with the leeway that you've included in this motion, that gives it another two hundred and seventy-five thousand. If we would take the additional dollars that were given to all of our respective offices, including my own, out of the budget for the ... for the meantime, at least, that brings it to some five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) at least that we would have of a surplus. It's better than sixty-eight thousand. Commissioner Teele: And you could take Commissioner Plummer's view, which is the overtime, and move two million dollars ($2,000,000) of the five million dollars ($5,000,000) into an account to be decided in the course of the year. Vice Chairman Plummer: Absolutely. Mayor Carollo: Well, we ... we could certainly do that. The problem is, that if the Oversight Board sees that that's not realistic in doing at all ... and I hope that it can be. I'm... I'm with all of you on that. But if they find that it's not realistic because of what they've seen throughout the years and what they expect will be spent, then that's one that's, you know, they're not going to accept and I think you understand what I'm saying, Commissioner. So... Vice Chairman Plummer: Mr. Sanchez. Commissioner Sanchez: Yes, Mr. Vice Chair. There are three items here that bring great concern to me on this budget, Mr. Dipak. One would be the surplus of sixty-eight thousand dollars ($68,000), which I don't think is enough to get us moving in the right direction, but... Vice Chairman Plummer: Fine. Commissioner Sanchez: It's not. The other thing would be that I want to make it very clear that I'm asking that you look into the expenditure, internally, of every department, see what we can come up with. And the other thing is to let you know that doubling the fee ... the firing fee, I am completely against and I'm looking that we look into finding other recurring revenues so we don't have a reenactment of what we had here not long ago. Thank you. Vice Chairman Plummer: All right. Commissioner Teele: Mr. Vice ... Mr. Chairman. Vice Chairman Plummer: Mr. Teele. Commissioner Teele: Just one question. Would you state ... what is the amount of money that we would be looking to recover during the September budget if Commission Plummer's resolution were to be adopted? What ... whafs the amount in controversy? 47 June 30, 1998 Mayor Carollo: A hundred and fifty thousand you say on the fire fee. Commissioner Teele: Commission Plummer proposed an emergency order. Mayor Carollo: Yeah, that ... that's the hundred and fifty thousand for the condominiums that are being... Vice Chairman Plummer: Correct. Mayor Carollo: ...considered. Commissioner Teele: The full amount of.Ahe full amount in controversy... the full amount of that is a hundred and fifty thousand? Mayor Carollo: This is what he's been told. That's why we're trying to find out. Vice Chairman Plummer: That's what I've been told and I've asked him to come up with... Mayor Carollo: Yeah. Commissioner Teele: Be ... because if...if it's a reasonable sum, I want to support looking for an alternative source of money for it. I mean ... but if it's, you know, three million dollars ($3,000,000)... Vice Chairman Plummer: No, no, no, it can't be. That's why I I've said we'll wait until the 21st for an answer. Any further... Commissioner Teele: Or it could be done in September. I mean, I really do think that if we do ... I mean, the budget hearing... see, we're sort of in a pre -budget hearing mode because of the Oversight Board but at lot of these actual changes need to be made as part of the budget process when the citizens are here because the last thing we need is for a bunch of citizens to start showing up while we're trying to get ready for the budget hearing. And I think ... I agree with Commissioner Plummer again that the budget hearing in September is a very real budget hearing and many of the changes that we're talking about need to be made at that time in terms of this. I have no other questions. I'd call the question unless someone... Vice Chairman Plummer: Mr. Gort, do you have a question you want to ask? Commissioner Gort: My understanding, administration costs in the billing for the sanitation, my understanding, we receive about three hundred and ninety-six thousand dollars ($396,000). The three dollars ($3.00) fee, you multiply by sixty five thousand homeowners? Mr. Parekh: No. Commissioner Gort: No. Mr. Parekh: No, no. No. Maybe sixty-five thousand homeowners, but that's including con... apartments or sometime you send one bill to three different apartments together. So when you take a look at the actual billing, its roughly about hundred ... the actual collection at about 92 percent is a figure which I did really ... about two hundred and seventy-five thousand. And I'll come back again to you. Commissioner Gort: My understanding, in stamps, we spend about forty thousand in billing this out. And I'm going through 32? Mr. Parekh: Thafs... yeah, that's precisely the question which was asked earlier by Commissioner Teele, was on the postage itself is around forty/fifty thousand but there are other auxiliary type of activities which we do in terms of paper as well as the computer time and so. Commissioner Gort: No, I understand. But you still got about two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) left for that. 48 June 30, 1998 Mr. Parekh: At least. At least. Commissioner Gort: So that's something you might consider going into the private sector, you might get... Mr. Parekh: Absolutely. I think that's a ... yeah, absolutely. Commissioner Gort: Get to do it cheaper. Mr. Parekh: But I need come back and do some kind of full cost study in order to insure that there is some rationale when we do increase fees. Commissioner Gort: My question is, what's the motion on the floor right now? Commissioner Teele: The motion is to adopt the plan that has been submitted. Commissioner Gort: There's no amendments to it or anything to it? Commissioner Teele: And the Five -Year... Commissioner Gort: Just the way it is? Mayor Carollo: With the statements that were made by the maker and approved by the seconder of the motion in regards to giving the administration the leeway to charge the actual service fees for the mailing of bills. Commissioner Gort: Well, the actual service fee but also whatever alternative could be the best for the City, okay? Going to look at both ... both things. Mayor Carollo: Yeah. Certainly. Commissioner Gort: Because if it cost us a hell of a lot more to do it ourselves, when we can get somebody outside to do it for half, I'd rather do it than have somebody outside do it for half. Mayor Carollo: And that's part of what we are looking for now in every department with the Blue Ribbon Committee's recommendation. But if I can... Commissioner Plummer's still presiding. If I could ask the maker and seconder of the motion, if they could at least consider for now, once hopefully we find additional dollars in September, everything could be a lot easier than ... if, at least, so we can show the Oversight Board a half a million dollars ($500,000) of surplus for next fiscal year instead of sixty-eight thousand. If part of the motion that has been made and seconded, if it could include that the budget for the Mayor's office and the Commission office, instead of being the budget that is being presented for 1999 would go back to the revised budget for 1998, that would give us another... close to a hundred and sixty thousand dollars ($160,000) more. Vice Chairman Plummer: All right. Let's put something up on top of the table right now because I've heard some comments here that ... I think we better understand where we're coming from. OK. Mr. Sanchez, I respect your opinion and I've had your opinion and not had your opinion. Let's understand that twentyfour dollars ($24.00) of a Fire fee, which we passed, went to buy equipment for five years or twenty million dollars ($20,000,000). That is to be doubled next year. You understand that? Now, wait a minute. Don't say no... Commissioner Regalado: No, no. Vice Chairman Plummer: Because this budget is predicated on it. Mr. Dipak. Commissioner Regalado: No, sir. 49 June 30, 1998 Vice Chairman Plummer: Wait, wait, wait, wait. Am I right or am I wrong? Commissioner Regalado: Wrong. Commissioner Teele: Is the budget predicated on... Commissioner Sanchez: Is it or isn't it? Mr. Parekh: Not for fiscal year'99. Fiscal year 2000 onward. Commissioner Teele: That's what he said. Commissioner Sanchez: That's what... Vice Chairman Plummer: That you're doubling. Commissioner Teele: That's just what Commissioner Plummer said. Vice Chairman Plummer: That's what I said, so let's go... Commissioner Teele: This budget is predicated on the Fire fee doubling in FY 2000 and we're voting on that now. Vice Chairman Plummer: Let's understand where we're coming from because it is reality. Commissioner Regalado: But it was you, J.L. Vice Chairman Plummer: And if you ... wait, wait. Let me finish. Commissioner Regalado: J.L., it was you who said at the beginning, can we change this as we approach the budget year? Vice Chairman Plummer: I understand that and I fully concur. You're right. But let's understand what is in this budget that we are sending to the Oversight Board, that that Fire fee is doubled. Commissioner Gort: Contemplated. Commissioner Regalado: That... Vice Chairman Plummer: Now ... so if that —you know, I heard Sanchez say he's opposed to it totally. Mayor Carollo: That is totally... Vice Chairman Plummer: Regalado is opposed to it. Mayor Carollo: That is totally correct, beginning in year 2000. Commissioner Gort: And I am too. Vice Chairman Plummer: And Gort is opposed to it, so, if that's the case, Mr. Mayor... Mayor Carollo: That ... if I... Vice Chairman Plummer: We're not in balance. Mayor Carollo: Commissioner, if I can. 50 June 30, 1998 Vice Chairman Plummer: Sure. Mayor Carollo: That is correct but if...you could also read ... and this is stated the last time this came up ... on notes right below... Vice Chairman Plummer: You better be fair. Mayor Carollo: ...all the numbers that we have here ... and this is on page 61. It states, "C"...excuse..."B" rather. Any additional recurring revenues could be used to offset future Fire, Solid Waste fee increase. Commissioner Sanchez: What are the guarantees? Vice Chairman Plummer: Absolutely Mayor Carollo: So what we're saying is...well, the guarantee is that all of us are going to have to get up from our behinds ... and excuse me ... and work harder than we've ever had, to make sure that things run smoothly and that we bring in the recurring revenue by running this City business like so that before the year 2000 comes, we don't have to have any fee increases and, hopefully, be able to start to reduce some fees. And we can do that if we work as a team. Commissioner Sanchez: Mr. Mayor, if I may? Mayor Carollo: Yes, sir. Commissioner Sanchez: You know, I will pray every night that we do have ways to fund this money because, you know what, the tax payers out there, we can't continue to reach in their pockets to get money out to fix something that somewhere along the line they did not cause it, so I would vote no and that's the bottom line for this budget. If it's doubling the fees, I'm voting no. Vice Chairman Plummer: I just wanted to make the record clear and put it on top of the table. Commissioner Teele: Mr. Mayor, Chairman, let me tell you something. Vice Chairman Plummer: I'm not Chairman. I'm Vice Chairman. Commissioner Teele: Mr. Vice Chairman, Mr. Mayor. I think it's important what Commissioner Plummer just did. I really do. Because I put this under the rubric of in intellectual honesty. We need to call it what it is. Vice Chairman Plummer: That's right. Commissioner Teele: Because we got into this box before when you all kept submitting a plan like this that had the Fire fee in it. Then, when it came time to vote for it, the only person who voted for it was the one person who hadn't voted to put it in in the first place. Now, what we're talking about is a doubling of the Fire fee from twenty-four dollars ($24.00) to forty-eight dollars ($48.00). Vice Chairman Plummer: Correct. Commissioner Teele: And twenty-four dollars... twenty-four dollars ($24.00) yields how much money? Mr. Parekh: Four point two. Commissioner Teele: Four point two? Mr. Parekh: Four point two seven two, yes. Vice Chairman Plummer: But there's also another difference, Mr. Teele, and that is the first 24 goes for 51 June 30, 1998 equipment. The second 24 is proposed to go for the general fund, so there's a big, big difference. Commissioner Teele: I understand and I fully support where we are. But I think it's very, very important that we don't put ourselves back in this box a year from now because the worst thing that could happen to us, Mr. Mayor ... and I know this may be uncomfortable for you right now but the worst thing that could happen would be the Oversight Board go away and then this Commission vote four to one not to do it, put the budget in a... in a upside down and I can assure you, when the Governor comes in the next time, it won't be, you know... Vice Chairman Plummer: If come. Mayor Carollo: He'll have to band it on. Commissioner Teele: It won't be a genteel as the last time. So I think it's important that all of us agree ... and I particularly appeal to my colleague, Commissioner Gort, who recognizes the importance because of his ... his own persona background. Commissioner Gort: You know, I might not be here. I might not be here, so let's face it. Commissioner Teele: Who recognizes the importance of these Five -Year Plans and these fiscal documents. It is highly unlikely that we're going to be able to come up with a full four million dollars ($4,000,000) of new income. On the other hand, I think, under the leadership of what Mayor Carollo's doing, the discussions that are going on with Off -Street Parking and other places, it is conceivable that a large portion of this may be able to come out. But the fact of the matter is, we're not going to be able to clean up this city and service the people if we just keep putting money to do what we've been doing. We've got to have some new money to do some new things that Commissioner Plummer and Mr. Mayor, I commend you and I support your notions on the International Trade Board. The City of Miami was once synonymous with a forward looking communi...city that was engaged in the cutting edge of Latin America, all these things. We've sort of slipped back and the International Trade Board is the way to go. So I think it's important, Commissioner Plummer, what you've said and I think it's particularly important that we all understand that the fee may not be doubled. In all probability, it will not be doubled. But the issue is, is four million dollars ($4,000,000)... three point seven million dollars ($3,700,000.00) that we've got to come up with. I think we all know that the Off -Street Parking has been working, you know, with Commissioner Gort and others and, Commissioner Gort, you probably have a better view than anyone as to the feasibility of that and I think you could support the budget for that reason. But it's important that we understand and not just cast a ... a ceremonial vote here that we're saying that this budget is not ... is going to be balanced if, in fact, we're going to have trouble raising the additional four million dollars ($4,000,000), three point seven million dollars ($3,700,000.00) next year. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mayor Carollo: If...if the ... thank you, Commissioner. If the presiding officer will let me... Vice Chairman Plummer: Absolutely. Mayor Carollo: ...take the floor again. The potential fee increases for Fire or garbage are from the year 2000 and 2003. Let me start from year 2003 so you could see just now good of a shape we're in into the future, and that's without doing all of the other things that we're going to be doing. Year 2003. The increases that we're putting down as potential increases, not that they're going to be written in stone, potential, yes, because if we don't come up with additional dollars, we're going to have to have them. But I anticipate that we're going to do what needs to be done for the city. Year 2003, the total amount of the additional fees is six million twenty-three thousand nine hundred and thirty-eight dollars ($6,023,938). In that year we have a surplus of five million four hundred and forty thousand and nine hundred and thirtysix dollars ($5,440,936). So all that we're talking about is coming up with some 500 plus additional dollars. Even if we didn't ... did not have a single dollar increase in any of these fees. Year 2002, the same six million twenty-three thousand nine hundred and thirty-seven dollars ($6,023,937), with the potential fee increases that we're putting down. We're bringing in ... in a surplus, in this year, five million three hundred and seventy-nine thousand four hundred and fifty-five dollars ($5,379,455). Slightly over six hundred thousand dollars ($600,000) is all that we would need in new revenues to be found and we would not have to increase 52 June 30, 1998 a single dollar in fees. Year 2001, the same six million twenty-three thousand nine thirty-six in fee increases, potential fee increases. We have a surplus of three million nine hundred and thirteen thousand seven hundred and forty-five dollars ($3,913,745). This year we've got find approximately two million additional dollars ($2,000,000) if we do not have the increases. Year 2000, that's when it gets a little tighter. The same six million twenty-three thousand nine thirty-six. And we have surplus of million seven hundred eighty-two thousand dollars ($1,782,000). So we still have to find some four million dollars ($4,000,000). Now, things that are not included in all these years ... that they're not included because we cannot give them the actual guarantee now but we feel pretty certain we'll be coming. For instance, if you would notice here in the same page that the —three million two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($3,250,000) Law Enforcement Block Grant from 1999 is not included from year 2000 and 2003. Now, whether it's called Block Grant money from Law Enforcement Block Grants or it's called something different, by a different name, we feel extremely confident that the Federal Government is going to keep sending those dollars out, so you're looking at another three million dollars ($3,000,000) for each of those years. That is going to get us by year 2000, so that the fee increases won't become a reality. Actually, in year 2001 and 2003, not only will we have to increase the fees but we might be able to go back to the limited ones and lower those. And I don't want to get into scores of other areas that we know that will bring realistic recurring revenues into the City that we cannot have put down now for the ... the reasons that I've stated. One other area that we're working on right now is that on the numerous block grants that we've gotten for additional Police officers, that were good for three full years from the day they got hired, we stand a realistic possibility of maybe increasing that to a fourth year on all those. Vice Chairman Plummer: I sure hope so. Mayor Carollo: So that would put our situation even better in the out years of 2002 and 2003. Right now we're working on something with Dade County Government that, if it ... if it happens, it's going to be extremely beneficial to them and I think we will receive some benefits from it. So there ... there are many things that we're work, gentlemen, that not only, I think, will put us in a situation where we don't have to raise in the year 2000 and beyond additional fees but is going to place the City in a situation where I want to see it where it must be in reducing fees or taxes, but it's not going to happen by just sitting back and wishing for the best. It's going to take a lot of hard work. It's going to take team work, not only from all of us up here but from every single employee of the City. Vice Chairman Plummer: Any further discussion? Mr. Clerk, call the roll. Commissioner Teele: Need to clarify the motion, Mr. Chairman. Vice Chairman Plummer: The motion was ... read it again. Mayor Carollo: Well, if I can, Commissioner. Again... Vice Chairman Plummer: Sure. Mayor Carollo: If you and the seconder of the motion, if it can for the purpose that I explained, to at least give us a sure half a million surplus before the Oversight Board. If the ... for the Mayor's office and the Commission Office, instead of going with the budget that's been presented for'99, if we could go with the same revised budget that we had in'98. If that could be changed. Commissioner Teele: I don't object ... I don't object as long as it's open for discussion in September. Mayor Carollo: It certainly is. Vice Chairman Plummer: OK. Read the resolution again. [AT THIS POINT, THE CITY ATTORNEY READ THE RESOLUTION INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD.] Vice Chairman Plummer: Call the roll. 53 June 30, 1998 Commissioner Teele: The garbage fee was not included, the six dollars ($6.00) was not included or twelve dollars ($12.00). OK. Will we ... that is open to be taken up in September. Commissioner Sanchez: In September, correct? Commissioner Teele: OK. Mayor Carollo: Well, I think, on this extra six dollars ($6.00) that was part of the leeway the Administration was given. Am I correct on that? Commissioner Gort: No. Mayor Carollo: OK. Vice Chairman Plummer: No. Commissioner Teele: That was my intent but ... before I heard Commissioner Sanchez and Commissioner Regalado, so I just ... I will propose ... and Commission Gort ... I will propose it on September and if it passes, it passes. If it doesn't, it doesn't. We're talking about just rounding out the Administration to six dollars ($6.00), an additional, which is two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000). Vice Chairman Plummer: Call the roll. Commissioner Teele: But we'll do it in September. Vice Chairman Plummer: I vote no. And I vote no for the simple reason, those things which I brought out today have not been done and until they're done, I'll vote yes. At such time as the areas that I feel that are necessary to be changed are, in fact, changed, such as overtime, ITB, cleaning up the city, if those things make a change, I'd love to vote yes but until such time, I vote no. Commissioner Gort: My understanding in voting this Five -Year Plan, there's no increase fees of any taxes in '88M and there's increase... looking for increases in the year 2000, which we have a lot of things that we're working on, which, I'm sure, we're not going to have to increase and that's the reason why I'll vote for this. Yes. Commissioner Sanchez: No. And I stipulate Mr. Plummer's arguments. Vice Chairman Plummer: The motion passes. The following resolution was introduced by Commissioner Teele, who moved its adoption: RESOLUTION NO. 98-660 A RESOLUTION, WITH ATTACHEMENT, ACCEPTING THE "CITY OF MIAMI REVISED FIVE YEAR PLAN" FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1999 THROUGH AND INCLUDING FISCAL YEAR 2003, DATED JUNE 30, 1998, ATTACHED HERETO AND INCORPORATED HEREIN. (Here follows body of resolution, omitted here and on file in the Office of the City Clerk.) Upon being seconded by Commissioner Regalado, the resolution was passed and adopted by the following vote: AYES: Commissioner Wifredo Gort Commissioner Tomas Regalado Commissioner Joe Sanchez 54 June 30, 1998 Commissioner Arthur E. Teele, Jr. Vice Chairman J.L. Plummer, Jr. NAYS: None. ABSENT: None. Commissioner Teele: Man, nothing's changed in Miami. Vice Chairman Plummer: But I want to clarify on thing. Commissioner Gort: I want to change my vote. Vice Chairman Plummer: Wait a minute. I want to clarify one thing with Mr. Gort. Mayor Carollo: This meeting is adjourned. Vice Chairman Plummer: No, it's not. There is an increase. Commissioner Gort: I change my vote. Vice Chairman Plummer: Mr. Gort. There is an increase fee. I want that understood, as it is in this budget today. Commissioner Gort: Yeah. Vice Chairman Plummer: We might change it and hopefully we will. 3. COMMENTS BY COMNIISSIONER TEELECONCERNING CLOSING OUT COMMUNIT'N DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS. Commissioner Teele: Mr. Chairman, I would move... Vice Chairman Plummer: We're adjourned. Commissioner Teele: Mr. Chairman? Vice Chairman Plummer: I'm Vice Chairman. Commissioner Teele: Mr. Vice Chairman, I would move the Manager's item to close out these grants. Vice Chairman Plummer: What? You can't. Commissioner Regalado: Second. Commissioner Teele: The resolution. Commissioner Gort: Those do not have a fiscal impact, right? Ms. Warren: No. There is none. Commissioner Gort: Second. Commissioner Teele: There's no fiscal impact. It says it in the memo. Vice Chairman Plummer: No, you can't do this. Is this for the city ... for the Community Development? That's not... was not in the call of a special Commission meeting. You can't do it today. Be at the next 55 June 30, 1998 That's not... was not in the call of a special Commission meeting. You can't do it today. Be at the next meeting. THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE CITY COMMISSION, THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 1:17 P.M. ATTEST: Walter J. Foeman CITY CLERK Maria J. Argudin ASSISTANT CITY CLERK JOE CAROLLO, MAYOR 56 June 30, 1998