Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 1996-09-09 MinutesT Y"� 0- F oodm o ,�. 0 - lcc4qslq�o, - or fx-op �r PAEPAREiD sY Tie OFFICE 00 THE' CITY Rid CITY HALL WALTER -FOEMN CITY CLEU INDEX MINUTES OF 8PECIAL BUDGET MEETING September 9, 19" ITEM SUBJECT LEGISLATION ION PAGE NO. NO. u.mo,..o+ruk 1. BUD= FWj)Rn G -- P'CLIC'E DEPARn i DIS ICN 2-15 9/9/96 2. ffjXWr SING -- FI:RE MWARTMENr DISCUSSION 15-22 9/9/96 3. BMGLT REARIM -- Rt'MICE HORSES 9MNZS DISCUSSION 22 9/9/96 4. BMGLV WEARING -- .2lWJ%L SERVICES DISCUSSICK 22--35 AD[+MTT0N/SMM WhSTE 9/9/96 5. BUD= HERRING --- POLICE DEPARM4W DISCUSSION 35-40 9/9/96 6. BLMGLV HEARING -- FIRE DEPAFMMU - DISt.'USSION 40-41 EIGHTEEN MILLICN DOUAR ($1$ o 0ilti, 000) BLW 9/9/96 7. EtEWT HEARING -- PUMUC WORKSD15CUSSICK 41-49 9/9/96 8. BUDGFT HENRING --PARKS AND CATION DI MICN 49--50 DEPARTMM 9/9/96 9 NE CHBOWUM ENHANCEWC TEAMS (NET) DI,'4amiou 51-57 W)I -- CaftMM DWELOPM1+iP 9/9/96 (co) mousiNC 10. EFJD=- HEMUM - Air'IMINs AND ZCNING DISC Icm 57-62 9/9/96 11. bLV HEADING ---CONFERENCE AND DIWr.3SICN 52-66 CONV "iCNS 9/9/96 12. BLD= NEARING -- COWMITY PLANNUG DISaMICK 66-68 AM FXVrnZIZATICN 9/9/96 13. BLEGET HEARING -- HLMN RESOURM DI9GLJSSICN 68--69 9/9/96 14. BLvm m -- PTN - vxGFT / Dracmi N 70 :EN CMWION TtCHNCiiM 9/9i96 15. BLEW HEARM -- ASSET MANkAH ' Disamlom 70-74 9/9/96 16. RnG - YtUEMAL Ai rTS AND DI��yq ION 74-76 �MsrET V lVTi a 9/9/96 `/ 9J 96 17. BUDGET HEARA"m -- FO.AMCMD9/9/96 IBar(m 76 18. WOM1' HEARIM - • RISK KVQW'eYi' f DISOMI N 77-90 FrRE-Rca= 9/.4/96 19. B D= HORIM -- CrVrL SERVICE UI IItd 80-81 9/9/96 0 MIMUTSS OF SPECIAL BUDGET MEETING OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF M1.AMI, FLORIDA On the 9th day of September, 1996, the Pity Commission of Mianii, Florida, met at its regular meeting place in the City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drivu, Miami, Florida, in special session. The meeting was called to order at 9:10 a.m. by Mayor Joe Carollo with the following members of the Commission found to be present: Mayor Joe Carollo Vice Mayor Wifredo Dort Commissioner Tomas Regalado ALSO PRESENT: A. Quinn Jones, III, City Attorney Walter J. Foeman, City Clerk Maria J. Argudin, Assistant City Clerk Commissioner. Miller J. Daw:-ins Commissioner J.L.1Plummer, Jr. Carlos Smith, Assistant Pity Manager An invocation was delivered by Vice Mayor Gort, who then led those present in a pledge of allegiance to the flag. Mayor Carollo: This is not a formal. commission meeting. This is an informal discussion session. on the C:ity's budget. The only people that will be allowed to ask questions or to make any statements will be the members of the Commission, or Department Heads, or the appropriate personnel from individual City departments. Mr. Smith, would you like to proceed? Mr. Carlos Smith (Assistant Pity Mamger): Yes, Mr. Mayor. The proposed fiscal year 1997 operating budget is for two hundred and seventy-five million dollars ($275,000,£300) or six percent more than the amended fiscal year 1996 budget of two hundred and sixty million ($260,000,000). The general fund portion of the budget is two hundred and four million dollars ($204,000,000), which is twelve million dollars ($12s000,000) or six percent more than the fiscal year 1996 general fund budget of one hundred and ninety two million dollars ($192,000,000). That is, the increase is due mainly to personnel increases. We have also had revenue increases of twelve million dollars ($12,000,000), which are made from property tax increases of four point three million; Crime Block grant of six million ($6,000,000), State revenue, point two million-, interest, paint eight; emergency medical services, point four, and other revenues, point four. At this point in time, we, ali of the department directors are here. We are ready to proceed. I would like to lmow if you want to just select certain departments that you all want to ask some questions, or how do you want to proceed? Septembf ►. 9, 139 z s f t :•JvE,' wee 41x ........................................... L BUDGET HEARING -- POLICE DEPARTMENT ........................ y - MayorCarollo: Well what I would suggest, unless my colleagues would like to proceed in L different manner, is for us to go department by department and have the department head in respective to top administrators in each department, and go over their requested budget. Mr. Smith: OIL,. Mayl.�e you would like to start with maybe Fire or Police? Mayor Carollo: Well, since Fire and Police take the bulk of our budget, that will be a good idea. Mr. Smith: OIK. OK Chief. Mr. Donald Warshaw (Police Chief): Good morning. Mayor Carollo: Good morning, Chief. Chief Warshaw: Mayor, the general fund budget for the Police Department last year was approximately ninety-two million dollars ($92,000,000), and for this coming fiscal ye- the general fund budget request is approximately one hundred and one million �. ($101,000,000). The addition, the difference, the nine million dollar ($9,000,000) difftrt, basically, is for the oast of across the board salary increases that are in accordance with the .FOP (Fraternal Ogler of Police), contract and increased contributions to the pension. So in reality, the budget is slightly over what it was last year and that additional eight and a half or nine million dollars ($9,000,000) really is not impacting directly on personnel or on additional operating cost. So in effect, we are pretty much the same as this current year. Mayor Carollo: Chief, is the budget that we have before us the requested. budget that the Police Department made, or was it a budget that was changed by the Administration? Chief Warshaw: No, it is not the requested budget. I mean... Mayor Carollo: OK. What was the requested budget? Chief Warshaw: Well, there. What it was... about a hundred and fifuen? It was approximately a hundred and fifteen million ($15,000,000), and included a lot of capital items and items for operating expenses that were not finalized as part of the regular budget. In addition, we malt some changes in the way we are showing personnel, in that we are budgeted for the same amount of people we had last year sworn, which is 1,015. The additional 102 officers we intend to hire, a net gain of 102 officers are being shown, in effect, in a separate budget, because they are being funded by Federal grant monies through the President's Cops Program. Mayor Carollo: Right. Oil. Commissioner. Commissioner Regalado: 'Yes, Chief. You have an increase of police officers in this fiscal year. And my question is, at what time during the fiscal year these police officers will start getting paid, because we have 12 months? So are we going to have it, like from two months from now, or nine months from. now? Chief Warshaw: OK, all right. CCbmmissioner, the way it is going to work is that we just recently received a list from the Personnel Management Department which in effect has 1200 names of new potential candidates. We have an academy class starting approximately the first of 2 September 9, 1996 October. As you go through the year, there will be classes probably starting every, let's .. ;y 4, to 60 maybe 90 days. So the further into the year those classes go, the impact on the budget becomes more minimal. It is conceivable, you could start a class in February, in March, into In August of 1997, so we could have to hire as many as 150 officers to gain the 102 that v*e intend to have a net increase of, because of attrition throughout the year. So it's going to be a managed process that is going to take us well over 12 months. Mayor Carollo: The procedures that we had discussed some months back Chief, that Personnel Department was going to be advertising on a steady basis across the State, has that been implem uteri? Chief Warshaw: Yes. That's been done and we now have. a new procedure, where we were able to amend the rules with the help of Personnel Management through Civil Sery icv, where certified. police officers, State of Florida police officers can literally walk in the doer, fill out an j application, and gust be backgrounded after that, so they don't have to take a test. We curr itly have an additional list Mayor, of 88 names of State of Florida c rtified officers. Sty w.e -tre actively recruiting those. In that case, we just give them a 40 or 80 hour brush -up... Mayor Carollo: Right. Chief Warshaw: ... and then they are ready to go out on the street, and that's an accelerates: way to get the people we reed. Mayor Carollo: So the plan that you and I discussed some months back has been successful, then? Chief Warshaw: Yes, sir. Mayor Camllo: OK. 'dice Mayor Gort: I have another question, Mayor. Mayor Carollo: OK. Go ahead, Mr. Vice Mayor. Vice Mayor Gort: Chief, this budget, how many sworn officers sloes it contemplate? ','his 1996 97... Chief Warshaw: One thousand and fifteen general fund officers. Same as last year. Vice Mayor Gort: Mow many officers do we have at present? Chief Warshaw: We have about 1,025, 24 or so. Those additional vine, that's the first impact from the... Vice Mayor Gort: Of the grants. Chief Warshaw:.,. grant money. Vine Mayor Gor:: 'thank you, Chief, I would like to clarify what the Chief had said before. There is 102 additional officers funded through Federal grants. Mayor Carollo: In as far, Chief, as money in this budget for acw police vehicles, how much s allocated, and is it sufficient for your reeds? 3 September 9, 1996 Chief Warshaw: Vehicles. There is no monzy in this budget for additional vehicles. That would be funding from another source, and I think some time during this fiscal year, there will be an item coming before the Commission for another, about 100, 110 cars. Mayor Carollo: Where would the funding come for those cars? Chief Wambaw: Dipak? Where is Uipak? Mr. Dipak Pamkh (Deputy Director/Finance-Budget/Information Technology): The funding coining from the Coats Notes which Is ,going to be funded fmm the debt service ta• any approximately, how many positions, how many cars? Mayor C:hrollo: It's corning from whom again? Mr. Parekh: Utility servim. taxes. Mayor Carollo: Utility service taxes. Mr. Par+ekli: Yes. Unidentified Speaker: We don't need any taxes. Mayor Carollo: Where in the budget do you have that listed? Mr. Parekh: The summary is provided in the Special Revenue section. .Mayor Czrollo: What page do you have, you have that? Mr. Parekh: Page 178. Man or- Cw ulio: Cis, So that's not at all the Police budget list? Mr. Parekh: No, sir. Mayor Carollo: OK., Do you have a breakdown? Because this doesn't explain the... Ms. Parekh: That is true. This is at the summary level I will furnish you the breakdown in a few minutes. Mayor Carollo: OK What I would like to see, for myself and all the members of Commission is if you could give us a breakdown. And, of course, it is not here that I am requesting that.. Take your time in doing it. We need a breakdown as to these funds that you have here on Rage 178, the -utility service tax. A breakdown where you are iooking to allocate those funds to... Mr-'Parekh: Yes, sir. Mayer Carollo: ... because all that we have is just a general number, but we don't know where fty are going to. Mr. Parekh: Agreed. We wilt do it. Mayor Carollo- OK Thank you. Vlot Mayor Gort: Mr. Mayor, I think it would be easier, also, if they explain somewhere in the budget... You see a total budget for two hundred and seventy-five;, and then you have the 4 September 9, 1 "b comparison by the finance spending agency, and now you've got an additional hundred and ses�"-n, with half of this money comingcm grants, and half of the money comes from this. And i this is where a lot of monies are used. Mayor Carollo: I agree, Vice Mayor Gort. Commissioner Dawkins, do you have any questionsa Commissioner Dawkins: I have a lot of questions, Mr. Mayor, and l appreciate the offer. with this cloud investigation, it would be a great injustice to this City of Miami, if I were to sit here and attempt to transact City business until the cloud is removed or something happens. So I'll sit and listen, and if nothing happens, then I can comic back. If something does happer, then I won't be bank. Mayor Carollo: Weld, let me say this Omimissioner, for everyone.. that's here. You are. at present a member of this Commission. We are a country of laws, that everyone has to follow them, and those laws state that no one, absolutely no one, is guilty of anything until proven othem ise. And I just would like to remind everyone that these are the rules that we are abiding by, and therefore, you have every right; sir, to ask any questions, as a City Commissioner, that you would see fit to ass?. Commissioner Dawkins: Well, you and Commissioner Gort raised the question that worries me, and that is, "X " dollars is put into the Police budget. "X" number of dollars come into the Police budget as grants, but we never, ever, as Commissioners are able to trace the grant money. You i gust see on one gage where eighty-five million dollars ($85,000,000) is Police budget, And when you ask how .many grant dollars they got, they tell you they don't know. Aad, that worries me, because for five years, I wanted to know the difference between, if you got fifty-five Inniion dollars ($55,000,000) in grants, and you got eighty-five million dollars ($85,000,000) it,1,� ;rral funds, and you're only showing the in the budget books, Mr. Vice Mayor, eighty-five minion (95,000,000) then somewhere along the line, the budget isn't balanced, because you dui ',- show... these ,grants don't come in, and you don't show where: they are balancing, and I gust. t have never understood how the budget could be balanced. when it's not accounted for, ,and that's a great concern. Mayor Carollo: That's a very good point, Commissioner, that you have made, and it is one that we need to have answered before we finalize this budget. And I would like the Deputy Pinang Director to be able to sit down with each member of the Commission, one on one, and be able to go over it and explain it better. Mr. Parekh: Yes, sir. I will do it. Mayor Carollo: That would take too mueh time to do it here. Mr. Parch: I will take care of it. Mayor Carollo: Thank you. Commissioner Regalado: I have another question for the Chief. Visability is very impotUnt for the Police Department, and I was wondering if there are any plans to move the stables of the City of Miami which are now outside the City limits? and, if you have any plans, where that will be, and would it cost money to the City? Grief Warshaw: Commissioner, right now the stables are located at Tropical Park, where we are, in effect,on County property and them has been a lot of talk, and. I think it is goicxg to become a reality, that the County is going to be moving that facility out of Tropical Park, besides the fact that is very inconvenient, and time consuming for our officers to have to go all the way 5 September 9,1996 r to Tropical Park to transport the horses all the way hack here. We need money for on. nstruction of a stable facility, which we tried to get in the last bon, d issue, but we don't have right now. Morningside Park has been kind of the Root runner, an area that really desperately wants the stables. 'There has been sorne other City parks (that have asked. As a matter of fact, Mr. 5tallone has asked if we would guild the stables even on his own property. He has offered to help us build the fatality. The problem is, he really doesn't have enough room. We are more than willing, and desirous of moving the stables. The problem right now is the money for a facility, and it Would probably cost us about a. million dollars ($1,OW,000) to do that. Commissioner Dawkins: To follow up on Commissioner Regalado's question, when did we move the horse stables from Dinner Key? Chief Warshaw: I don't recall that it was ever at Dinner Key. Commissioner Dawkins: When was it out that way? It has always been, ever since I have been a Commissioner, at Tropical Park? Chief Warshaw: Right. It was near the old jail for a long time, and then we made some kind of swap deal with ;he County, and then we moved to Tropical Park, and we have been in the... Commissioner Dawkins: The swap deal that you made with the County. You gave the County City land, in order for them to allow you to house the horses on their property? Chief Warshaw: Well, no. And I didn't do that... Commissioner Dawkins: No, no. I mean. OK, let me... Chief Warshaw: The fact is, I am not sure who... Commissioner Dawkins: Wait, wait, Chief. Wait, wait one minute. Chief Warshaw: OK. Commissioner Dawkins: We, the City Commission, gave the County some of the City of Miami's property in order for us, the City Commissioners, to stable our horses on County land. Is that a fair statement? Chief Warshaw: Right. Yes, sir. 'That's correct. Commissioner Dawkins: Now, what did we, the Cilr Commissioners, get in return for .the land, otter than the ability to use this land? We didn't own it. Chief Warshaw: I am not sure, sir. I don't know the answer to that. Commissioner Dawkins: Thank you. I am sorry. Thank you. Chief Warshaw: We tried to build, Commissioner Regalado, on Virginia Key, but there were problems with the land, and some environmental issues, so that stopped and we have been at the County ever since. Commissioner Dawkins: See, but there again, see, Commissioner Regalado, you weren't here, aft. This Commission has constantly given away the City's property, OK? If we needed to build a stable foa our horses, there would have beer no better places to put the stable than the land they gave to Jackson Memorial Hospital for some kind of a trauma center or what have you. 6 September 9, 1996 There would have been no better place to put a stable than the land we were using for the uvtrttttuniratiost canter, than to put the stable on. Now, the County : selling Jackson P�letreorial, i hope all of the other Commissioners received the memo, that the facility that we am using MIw for communication tmns&r or whatever, it is inadequate, and Jackson Memorial Htvpital is demands that we provide something better for... 'What is it? Somebody over there beil me that die control between the Police, the Fire medics, or something, what is it? Mayor Cerullo: Commissioner... commissioner Dawkins: Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, may d ask the Chief? Mayor C..arullo: Certainly. Commissloner Da,wkini:... to the Chief? Mayor Carollo: Absolutely. Fire Chief Carlos Gimenez: That's the antenna tower that used to be located in that facility. Commissioner Dawkins: Where was it? Chief Gimenez: That antenna tower was located on the property that was sold to or gevcr: to Jason Memorial. Commissioner Dawkins: And when we sold... when we... and 1 mean, not you. Now, see, when the City Commission... because, you see, you didn't do it. When the City Commission sold this land, it died not think ahead and know that we were going to run into this problem, and that Jackson Memorial, that this was a serious problem and was putting in jeopardy the lives of the citizens of the City of Miami? Chief Gimenez No. l don't believe at that time that we knew that was going to happen. Commissioner Dawkins: Well, who was... who was the lead man who thought through this, to OK it and say... I mean, who, told us that this was. a geod thing to do? Chief Gimenez: I can't answer that question now. 1 am not the individual that sold the land, so 1 don't, you know. 1 can't answer that question. Commissioner Dawkins: No. ©K.. Mr. Mayor, then 1 guess what the Chief., is saying is that the City Commission sold the land, so the City Commission put the citizens of the City of Miami's life in danger. 'Thank you. Mr. Smith: Commissioner, if 1 may? 1 would like for, maybe, Assistant City Manager, Ron Williams to address the issue further. Mayor C arollo: Go ahead, Ron. Mr. Ron Williams (Assistant City Manager): Thank you Carlos. Mr. Mayor, members, of the Commission, I want to make sure that we don't c:oaifuse the two issues. Carlos is absolutely right. When the tower was taken down or we relocated our principal transmitter site in the twiner, we did lose some ability to have strong coverage in certain areas. The particular concern that Commissioner Dawkins has is a valid one, it has to do with the Rescue runs, and their ability to talk to emergency centers within Jackson Complex, and we need to work out additional towers, additional tramsmimion capability, so that's a bit clearer. So that when firefighters are on 7 September 9, 1996 i i 1 d the road, you mow, trying to communicate directly to Jackson Memorial Emergency regarcfip pati,trit infonnation, that communication flow, is clearer. and we are working an that now. Commissioner Dawkins: Mt. Williams. Mr. Williams: Yes, Commissioner. C mmissioner Dawkins: What's the cost for this, that we... that you just spoke or? Mr. Williams: l don't ha -,re a cost number, a n:snissioner... Commissioner Dawkins: OIL, all right. It's all right. 'There will ... Mr. Williams:.., because we don't have all of the details of the fixed worked out. Comminioner Dawkins: Thank you. ftere will it be funded from? Mr. Williams: It will have to be funded from general revenues from the City of Miami. Commissioner Dawkins: is it budgeted in this budget now, that you got to do? Mr. Williams: The fix4 with with regards to the tower, it's budgeted. That has been approved by the Commission,, The tower pour, meaning the foundation pour starts next Monday, on September 16th. We expect that tower to be up toward the end of this month, the first of E fiber... Commissioner Dawkins: And where... Mr. William: ... and that will help. That will go a long ways toward resolving some of the coverage area concerns that we have. Commissioner Dawkins: OK But see, going a long ways. My crric ern is not going a long ways to Wive it. My problem is today, you should have been able to tell me that you are solving it, not you working on solving it. Mr. Williams: No, we are... Commissioner, we certainly lost a. bit of communication capability. That capability is coating back fast. We do have the tower issues worked out with the microwave. We are relocating all of that. That's well on the way. The other issue with regard to communication from rescue of vehicles into Jackson, we know how to fix that. We just do not have the details to the paint that we have priced it for you. Commissioner Dawkins: I yield to Commissioner Gort, Mr. Mayor. Vice.Mayor Gort: Let me ask you a question. Mayor Carollo: OK. Go ahead. Vice Mayor Cart My understanding is, we didn't give that away, that we received revenues from the County. My understanding is that Jackson Memorial needed to expand the hospital needs and also the... How much did we receive from Jackson? Mr. Williams: I don't know the exact numbers, I don't recall but... Vice Mayor Gort: It's clone to six million ($6,OW,000), seven million ($7,000,OW)? S S. ptem1w.r 9, 1996 Mr. FAIuardo Rodriguez (Director, Asset Management): Four million dollars ($4,000,000) an cash and one point five ($1.5 million) in rebate of Solid Waste. Vice Mayor Gort: Four million dollars ($4,000,000) cash? Mr. Rodriguez: No, four million dollars ($4,000,000) in cash and one point five ($1. c million,) in rebate of Solid Waste additional. Vice Mayor Gort: And that money, some of that money will be used for the new antennas and... Mr. Williams: Cain. I am sorry, Commissioner. Vice mayor Gort: That money will be used for the replacement of the antennas and so ors? Mr. ` llliarns: Fart of that money has been used for that purpose. That's funded, the Commission kiss approved it, and it is ready to go. Vice Mayor Gort: But I would like to know, and this will be a good question, at the end, when we get through, I would like to find out, find out how much the City really gets in the sale of that property. 'Thank you. Mr. 'W1llia.•ms: We can certainly provide that. Mr. Mayor, Commissioner Dawkins, let me . Carlos kind of brought me uptodate here on an item that's scheduled for your meeting , sn Thursday, which does provide the fax for that issue with regard to the emergency room/ Res• linkage that we are talking about. It's... It will be, it's item number 3 on your agenda .or Thursday, at a casts of twenty-one thousand two hundred and thirty-one dollars ($21,231). So once this item is passed and the tower project is completed, we certainly will be back to where we think we should be with regards to that communications. Commissioner Dawkins: Mr. Mayor. Mayor Carollo. "Yes, sir, Commissioner Dawkins: To anybody over there. You got four million dollars ($4,000,000) for what? For the sale of that property? Mr. Smith: Commissioner, I would like to, if I may please. He was referring to the transfer station. Commissioner Dawkins: The what, now? Mr. Smith: The transfer station. Commissioner Dawkins: No. No, he was not, Mr. Carlos Smith. He was... Mr. Smith: No, that was, that was... Commissioner Dawkins: No, wait a minute, wait a minute, Mr. Sinitic. Let's you and I get together. What were you referring to, Mr. Williams? Mr. Smith: I am talking about Mr... 9 September 9, 1996 Commissioner Dawkins: No, Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Smith, leave Mr. Williams. You can't tell Mr. Williams what he was referring to. Let Mr. Williams tell us, and then you can confirm it, if you will please, sir? Mr. Smith:... next property. Mr. Williams: Yes. The... Commissioner Hawkins: When you said four million dollars 34,000,O00), what land were you referring to Mr., Williams? Mr. Williams: The Director of .Asset Management. Mir. Eduardo R(Aiguez (Director, Asset Management): Pardon me, sir, it was me, it was not Mt. Williams. Commissioner Dawkins: Beg your pardon. Mr. Rodriguez: 1 ws.-. referring to the next property. Commissioner Dawkins: Which next property? Mr. Rodriguez: ne transfer station. CmmmLnsioner Dawkins: The transfer... Mr. Rodriguez: You are talking about the Motor Pool.. Commissioner Daw;dns: OK. Just... Mr. Rodriguez: So we are going to get the numbers straight and we are going to bring it to you right now. Commissioner Dawkins: Oil. 'Transfer station,, how much did we get? Mr. Rodriguez: There are two properties. One next to... Commissioner Dawk1us How much did we get? How much did we get for the transfer station? Mr. Rodriguez: It was, in total, about six, six point three million dollars ($6.3 million). We have to bring the numbers right now, sir. Commissioner Dawkins: All right, six, six point three million dollars ($6.3 million). Now, what's the land next to the transfer station we sold? Mr. Rodriguez: The Municipal property, the Municipal Shop. Commissioner Dawkins. All right, the Municipal Slop. OK, what slid we get for that? Mr. Rodriguez: That's the number 1 am going to bring to you exactly new. Mr. Smith: It's exactly, sixs six point three million dollars ($6.3 million). Commissioner Dawkins: OK, get... 10 September 9, 1996 Mr. Smith: It's exactly six, six point three million dollars. Unidentified Speaker. Six point three, right? Commissioner Dawkins: Beg your... Say, what, now? Ms. Christina Cuervo: Commissioner. Mr, Smith: Six paint three million dollars ($6.3 million). Commissioner Dawkins: Well now, is that the same six point three, or is it twelve point six now? Mr. Smith.: No. Commissioner Dawkins: Usitu.- Mayor Crarollo: Christina, do you have the exact number? A",s. Cuervo-. Yes. The exact number is six point three million ($6.3 million) of which ox million ($6,000,000) was cash and three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) was a forgiv..neu of a future pledge we had to the Ryder 'Trauma Center. So there was no dash exchange, but it was just a forgiveness of a future contribution the City was going to make. Commissioner Dawkins: Or, .Now, my question, then, to you, Ms. Christina is when you sold the land, you told us, the Commissioners, that you were going to build a garage. Is thatcorrect? Ms. Cuervo: A mo... Commissioner Dawkins: }sight now. And where is the garage? Ms. Cuervo: A Motor Pool sxms being contemplated to be built. What we did was reconfigured the exacting heavy equipment garage that we had, and we added bays there. I believe Mr. Williams can speak to that. And we added a Motor Pool to the existing heavy equipment garage and reconfigured the cite. Cormmbsioner Dawkins: But when you sold the land, that was not what you told me. You did not tell... I asked all these questions, and I did not get the answers that I am getting now. That's number one. Number two is, you have moved. May I, Mr. Mayor, I :mean I am going off the subject,.. Mayor Carollo: Yes, Commissioner Dawvkins: Mr. Williams, come to the mike. I mean, with the mike, please. When they had the Motor Pool, or whatever we are going to call it, who took care of police cars? Mr. Williams: The Department of General Services Administration. Commissioner Dawkins: All right. Now, when they got rid of "the Motor Pool," where did they move the cars to be taken care or M¢. Williams: To the heavy equipment Barrage facility. 11 September 9,1996 Commissioner Dawkins: All right. Now, where are they now being taken care of? Mr. Williams: At that facility. It's in a split reconfigured facility, dividing the heavy equipment maintenance services from the light equipment, or car maintenance services. Commissioner Dawkins: Last year, Mr. Williams or Mr. Smith, what did ,your department receive for the maintenance and operation of all vehicles? Mr. Williams: I've got that number, Commissioner. Fold it there for one second. I have got it right here on my sheets. Last year for all vehicles, we received... Commissioner Dawkins: OK. Well, you can give that. Mr. Williams:.... we received fourteen, fourteen million five -ninety ($14,590,000). Commissioner Dawkins: All right. Of dim l'r_tl*.:pen innill1lon ($i4,"Wii (iKi 0, flow much of it was ;n—narkedrot repairs of Police cars? Mi. Williams- Approfimately half of it. Commissioner Dawkins: Half of it. OF, Now... Mr. Williams: Around seven million ($7,000,004 Commissioner Dawkins: Now, with the Police Department taking care of the maintenance id operation of the automobiles, where will the money come from for that? Mr. Williams: i he same sources, City general fend. Commissioner Dawkins: All right, all right. Is ii in this budget that there is a line item charge that, for the lack of a better word, your budget has been reduced by seven million dollars ($7,(*0, ), and the Police Budget has been increased by seven million dollars ($7,000,OW) to cover this? Mr. Williams: The Police Department's budget has been increased, I believe. I would have to refer to the Budget Department to identify those... Commissioner Dawkins: Now, well you... now wait a minute. Why. Why would you have to, when its your department, when you am telling me about your department? Mr. Williams: No. No, I can tell you what... Commissioner Dawkins: You said that. You said the cars are in your department. Mr, Williams: They were in mine prior to this kcal year. This budget that's proposed before you does not include monies in the General Services budget for the maintenance of cars. I... Commissioner Dawkins: Well, where is it? Mr. Dipak Parekh Deputy Director, Finance): Commissioner, this year, page 186, if I may, on the budget book... Commissioner Dawkins: Is it in the Police Budget? Is it in... 12 .September 9, 1996 -- Mr. Pare.kh: It is in a separate budget. Commissioner Dawkins:... Mr. Williams' budget, or is it some place else? Mr. Parekh: It's in a separate budget in the Internal Service Fund. Commissioner Dawkins: See, then, therefore, again Mr. Mayor, I am just saying, to you that we do not have a total budgeted amount for the Police Department. 'That's all, no further questions. Mayor Carollo: Chief, I do have a couple nit .m questions. Out of the 1,01.5 officers that we budgeted for... and, of courae, you made it cl-ear that monies for P-pother hundred or two hundred officers are coming from the Cops Program, as we discussed. But out of that 1,015, 1 believe that we have s:. ►; wherc between 50, 70 sworn officers that are injured. We cannot tam them in the streets. And from what I can understated, the bully of them will :fever be able to go back to the streets. Igo you have, more or less, a. figure on that or a pretty good estimate? Chief Warshaw: There are different categories of limitations. There are light duty officers who are injured or ill for limited short periods of time, who are... Mayor Carollo: Sure. I am not referring to those. I am referring to the permanent ones. Chief Warshaw: There are those who have reached what we call, you know, maximum me -21 j improvement, where they are not ever going to be able to be full -duty officers, and se officers, we have historically found jobs for in administrative functions and they have been able to stay and function effectively. The number of that is 15. Is it that many? It's about 30 of those. Mayor Carollo: What can we do to those that are... We could justify it, and at the same time work it with. them in the best humane way that we could. What can we do to take there off the Police budget and put them in a pension, like, truly, most of them probably should fall in? Chief Warshaw: OK 'There are two options we have. '€'here once was a time when the Police Department or any other department could actually take someone to the Pension Board and, in effect, pension them out. That was changed many, many years ago when a precedent was set that limited -duty people were able to fulfill, you know other kinds of jobs. And technically speaking, in the rules, if you are not able to be a full able-bodied police officer, the Department Director, the Chief can dismiss the person. But again, there has been a precedent, and I must say that some of these people are very committed, and dedicated, and come to work. Now, the other option would be, and I have spoken in the past to the Manager about this, was to carry those people in some other category. In either Risk Management or somewhere outside the Police budget, so you have a more true picture of what the sworn numbers are, because right off the top, you have got to take. those 30 off, and you need to know that those 30 are not able bodied out there, you know, wonting officers. Mayor Carollo: Well, can we begin, Chief, to work on something immediately, to try to make a change in that? Either to try to put them on pension, but at least to work it out, as you stated that we could have a real picture of how many officers we really have that are swore and are being able to be used in any rapacity. Not just inside the police station. Chief Warshaw: Yes, we can do that. And I want to also mention to you that during this past year, working with Labor Relatiow, we have actually terminated, in the most humane way possible, marry of those officers who were eligible to get pensions, and in effect, you know, urged them to apply for a pension., and some of them have, and have received that pension, as well. But I agree, something needs to be done, because the numbers are verL3 high. 13 September St, 199 ray=:, Mayor Carollo: The other question that I have, Chief, is how much of the budget that we are looking at is going towards training and retraining of our police officers? M, ief Warshaw: This year, in the General Fund budget there is really no money at all for training. Now, there are some in-service kinds of things we do that, in effect, don t cast us dollars, but we are doing our own training. A lot of the external training that used to be in the travel code, this year the Manager took all of the travel money out of all the departments and it is going to be approved on an individual, as -needed basis. We do have second dollar money, monies that we get from a trust fund that comes to us as a result of fees we receive from the Cotsnty Clerk's Office through fines and rebates back to the City. Bui ileac number has dwindled over the years. Now, it is only about sixty thousand dollars ($60,000). It was once. over two hundred thousand ($200,000). So we have very limited monies for training. Mayor Carollo: Well, vu the internal training, what type of training are we talking about, and how wide will it be? Chief Warshaw: Well, we have things like officer refresher training. The problem, of course, is when you are down-s!affed, every time you take officers off the streets, you 1010w, you got a problem on the streets. We have supervisory training for new sergeants when they are promoted, and of course, there is mandated State of Florida training on all kinds of things from domestic violence, to all kinds of law enforcement issues that are- typical of the day, various types of first - aid and, I mean, there is... It's an unlimited scope of what we can do, but we have been self - imposing on ourselves limitations, because we just can't take 30 or 40 officers off the streets at a time. Mayor Carollo: Well, that's understandable, Chief, and I certainly understand what yc..- are going through. But we need to, first of all, provide the funds and provide the time, IlopetLily, as we are getting more officers now. we can train and retrain our personnel, because if we don': do that, as you well know, we might save a few dollars now, but we are going to be paying a lot more down the line in lawsuits and more. So that's a scenario I think we really need to look at, and certainly would be more than willing to work with you in trying to see how we could shed some funds that would go strictly towards training. .Chief Warshaw: 'Thank you. Commk%sioner Regalado: Mayor. Mayor Carollo: Yes, Commissioner, Commissioner Regalado: I have a question for the Chief, in terms of Public Service Aides. How many vacant positions do we have now, and is it possible to use some of the funds that are coming from. Washington to hire therm, or are you planning to hire new officers. Chief Warshaw: Yes, it is possible. We have approximately, well we are budgeted for 110 Public Service Aides. We have approximately 30 vacancies. The Public Service Aide Program is a program that the Public Service Aides upgrade very frequently into police officer positions. It is kind of a rotational thing, so its hard to keep our numbers, you know, constant. Because once they are in the program +for two years, we make the police position available to them. We definitely need to... we are committed to increasing those numbers. We recently gave an exam. I think a thousand people tool: the test, so we are going to try to get those numbers even above 110 and hire in anticipation of attrition, because those young trainers reaily arc handling the big bulk of those report calls that, in effect, free officers to do enforcement work, and they are a very important part of what we are trying to do with NET (Neighborhood Enhancement Teams) to imp officers up to do proactive police work. So we are going to get a lot more of them. 14 September 9, 1996 W Mayor Carollo: Any further questions from the Commission of the Police Chief? Any additional statements you would like to make, Chief? Chief Wamhaw: No, Mr. Mayor. Mayor Carollo: 'Thank you very much for you... and your staff for being here with us today. Chief Warshaw- Thank you. ................. ...... ........................................ ,-............,..................................... . 2. BUDGET HFWNG--1FIR£ DEPARTMENT ........................... . 1.............. f.o.......................... o. r ...........r...................... �. Mayor Carollo: We'd appreciate it if we could have the Fire Chief come up now. Any tirnc you are ready, Chief. Chief Carlos Gimenez (Fire Chief/Fire-Rescue): Mr. Mayor, members of the Commission. The Fire Aepaitment budget this year is approximately forty-nine print five million ($49.5 million) from the general find and approximately two point three million ($2.3 million) from what you call "TFF", a Telephone Franchise Fee. Mayor Camllo: Before you go, on Chief, what was your requested budget versus what you got now? Chief Gimenez: I believe we requested about another additional million dollars ($1,000,000), mostly for replacement of fire stations and fire trucks also, upgrading facilities. Mostly, that was for capital goods. Mayor Carollo: Yes. So you had requested one million ($1,000,000) more than what you actually got? Chief Gimenez: Yes, sir. Mayor Carollo: That was going to go for fire stations and fire trucks. Chief Gimenez: Rightl And also, some upgrading of the training facility. Mayor Carollo: OK. Go ahead, Chief. I am sorry. Chief Gimenez:. The budget we have will have 605 fire fighters and 78 civilians. A total of six hundred and eighty-three (683) personnel for next year. And I will answer any questions that you might have about it. Mayor Carollo: OIL Let me start Chief. You said that the budget is forty-nine point five ($49.5 Million). You had requested, I thin, one million beyond that. My question is the following: A► couple of weeks before the mayoral election, the Manager contacted me and told the that we needed to go with a five million ($5,000,000) bond issue for the Fire Department. Then, a little further in the conversation, he said, well it was really more like a ten million ($10,000,0000) bond Wsue that we needed. I asked him why was he all of a sudden bringing this up to me, basically, two weeks before the next meeting that we were having. He said to uric that only at t4at time had your department brought it up to his attention that it was needed. About a week 15 September 9, 19% G after that conversation, you approached me and talked to me about the bond issue that we needy for the Fire Department, and the figure that you gave me was eighteen million ($18,000,000). And, if you remember, the reason it did not come up in the meeting of July the lath was because I told you I would not bring up the issue as a budget item, and we needed to sit down and go over just what it was needed for. My concern is that if we are in need of eighteen trillion ($18,M,000) additional dollars. for the Fire Department, why are we not seeing this In the budget request that you made? Chief Gimenez: Rey original request, there were additional monies that we requested for apparatus and for fire station maintenance. At the budget: hearing, I was asked to put together a bojad prom. to finance the needs of the Fire Deparlment for the next ten (10) years. Our staff got together and looked it: over, and the eighteen million dollar ($18,000,000) bond issue over ten years was the capital needs of the Fire Department for the next ten years. Mayor C:arollo: But in other words, did you ask for eighteen million dollars ($18,000,000) more in the budget, or did you ask for one million dollars ($1,000,000) more? Chief Gimenez: No. Ile eighteen million ($18,000,000) is over a ten year period. Andski roughly, it would be one point eight million dollars ($1.8 million) per year. And that is what vve have estimated that we were going to need in order to .replace all the fire trucks during the time period, and we have a ten years life span on our Hirst line fire apparatus and 15 or five additional years as a spare. In this ten year program, we will replace all the fire trucks that we have in the fleet now. Upgrade all the rescue trucks that we have, which are second level, or what we call our squads up to a first level rescue squad, a bigger truck, which the ten new ones that we purchased are those types. We also were asking for additional monies for computer equipment that we... in the upgrading of our CAT system. Our CAT system is about ten years old, and it's in need of replacing. We also were going to ask for a fire simulator at the training canter. At this time, we don't have a way to train fire fighters actually in live fire because of environmental reasons, and the smoke It puts out also concerns the neighbors. And that's about a one million dollar ($1,000,000) ticket item. So all those things were compiled and that's what the eighteen trillion dollars ($18,000,000) was for. Mayor C.arollo: But my question is, did you need all that money right away... Chief Gimenez: No. Mayor Carollo:.. or is that money going to be spent slowly throughout the ten years? Chief Gimenez: It was going to be spent slowly, throughout the ten years. Mayor. Carollo: OK So do you have any figures for the next ten years of !-.ow much extra money you would need in the budget, to be able to accomplish that, without going through a bond 'issue? Chief Gimenez: One point eight ($1.8 million). Mayor Carolio: One point eight ($1.8 million) per year. You figure you can. get that .in the }zth-4get, y ou •H ill be fire, and you would not have to go through... to a bond 'issue? Chief Gimenez: 'That's correct, sir. Mayor C arollo: OK, OK. So in essence, what I am ttnderstanding is, we are at least one point eight million dollars ($1.8 million) slmrt in the budget for the Fire Department... 1.6 September 9,1 6 10-1, Chief Gimenez: To do... Mayor Carollo: ... for what we need for the next ten years. Chief Gimenez: To do the things that we feel need to be done, you are roughly one point eight million dollars ($1.8 trillion) per year. Mayor Carollo: OK. That's all I want, Chief, your, best opinion... Chief Gimenez: Yes, sir. Mayor C;arollu:... of what we need, and I apPreciae that. Go ahead. Chief Gimenez: Well, you know I Em here to answer any other questions. It's, you know, what you want me to present. I have told you how many people we have. Anything you want k. know about the Fire Department, how it operates, I'll answer whatever questions you want to ask. Mayor r7arollo: OK. Do any of the members of the Commission have any questions? Commissioner Regalado: Yes. Mayor L;arolio: Commissioner Regalado. Mayor Carollo: Chief, I perceive from talking to your people, that there is a problem with our working of the paramedics. And I was wondering if, there is space in the budget to hire more paramedics, or change the system, because I don't know if it is true. This is the perception that I have, is that they are beingoverworked. Chief Gimenez: Well, when we changed the system in October, we changed from a system which had 26 fire trucks and ten rescue trucks. We changed it over to have a system with 17 fire trucks, and we have 19 rescue trucks. And the bulk of the work... And we also took up the ILLS transports, and we are generating more revenue for the City. I would have to say that the bulk of the work is done by the paramedics. We are looking toward ways of reducing that. Our goal is to have the entire department become paramedic certified. At this point only half of it is paramedic certified. And, we are taking steps to assure that. We are also asking the Personnel Department that from now on, any new classes that come in be all paramedic certified. And, what that will do, it will give us the ability of rotating our personnel, from the fire truck into the rescue truck, and back to the fire truck, so that the fire trucks don't get as many calls, but, it is something that you have to have. The rescue trucki get approximately 80 percent of the calls. So 50 percent of our people are handling 80 percent of the calls. The other 50 percent are handling 20 percent of the calls but, they are also doing other things, like inspections and making sure that the water systems are OK, etc. What we want to do is, rotate them through, so that the workload is divided up equitably. Fight now, we can't do that, because only half of our force is paramedic certified. So its a long term process that we are looking for. Mayor Cxarollo: Any questions? 'Vice Mayor Gort. Vice Mayor Gon: Filly question is going to be that, as I read the through the budget I could w. where you are planning to train more into paramedic, since that's 80% of your calls. Chief Gimenez: Correct. Vice Mayor Gort: So that was a decision that was already made by your staff... 17 September 9, 1996 Chief Gimenez: Yes. Vice Mayor Gort:... and so on. Chief Gimenez: Yes. lUh-huh. Vice Mayor G ort: 'Thank you. Commissioner Dawkins: Chief, when I came here, the City of Miami mire Department was classified as the bat, if not the best, one of the top three, and we, the Commission, fought with you to ketp that rating. What happened? Chief Gimenez: We are still Class I. commissioner Dawkins. Class I. Chief Gimenez: Yes, sir. Commissioner Dawkins: OV. In feet, this Commission, which the Mayor was a member of, stopped Mr. Cox from rebuilding fire truck, because you had a grant, and start buying them. You remember, I mean, you remember that? Chief Gimenez: That's correct, although we did rebuild some. Commissioner Dawkins: All right, now, OK. When you sold... Got to rephrase it, Mr. Mayor. When this Commission resold, sold certain equipment, we purchased new EMS (l mergenoy Medical Services) vehicles. Is that a correct statement? Chief Gimenez: That's correct. Commissioner Dawkins: At the time we purchased this equipment, it was said that by doing this you would generate "X" dollars by picking up, being able to pick up more rescue personnel; is that right? Chief Gimenez: That's correct. We have picked up an additional 21,000 transports per year. Commissioner Dawkins: OK. And you also stated, and I am just asking bemuse I don't know. Chief Gimenez. Uh-huh. Commissioner Dawkins: You also stated that you would generate "X" dollars... I would have to go back and pull the minutes. How many dollars have you generated of the 'X" dollars you said that you would generate? Chief Gimenez: I am going to ask the Finance Director to answer that at this point. I don't have a running total of it. 0& haw much do we have? Right now, as of today, we have generated three point two and our goal was four million ($4,000,000). Commissioner Dawkins: You generated three point two, and the goal was four million ($4,000,4W). Chief Gimenez. That's correct, as. of today. 1.8 September 9,1996 Commissioner Dawkins- 'That's fair. That's fair enough. OK. Going back to what the Mayer i said, I don't knew if I will be here or not, but if I am here, I will be agaimt any bond issue. So ' the thing you need to do is to come to my office, if.., or whenever, and iet's you and I find out how to adjust the budget, the total budget, the total City of Miami's budget to meet the needs o;` the Fire Department, because this is a need, and I am sure that it will be worked out. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mayor Carollo: 'Thank you. 'Vice Mayor Cort? Vice Mayor Gort: Two don't have anything. Mayor Carollo: 0& Chief. We are down to 605 sworn fire fighters. 'That's significantly less than we had in years past. Are. you adequately staffed, in your opinion, right now, with fire ' fighters? Chief Gimenez: Well, what we did was, when we reduced the number of fire companies... A fire engine takes four individuals to staff and when we redistributed that manpower, we distributed to apparatus that heeded on two or three people. 'That's where we ended up with having to have fewer people. At this point in time, the system is working. I can't honestly tell you that I might riot come back within a year or so and say we need additional units fuse of the rum load that is happening at this time, When I first came on the Fire Department, we hb, approximately 700 firefighters about 20,E calls. Right now we have 605 firefighters and we are running over 70,E ca ls. So there is... We have done a lot to pick up our productivity. As Commissioner Regalado said, some of the firefighters are starting to say that they are a little bit overworked, and we do need to look at some ways to maybe add a couple additional units, in order to reduce that workload. Mayor Carollo: But the 70,000 calls you are talking about, these include the rescue calls from people having a heart attack or injury or so? Chief Gimenez: That's correct. That's total calls. Seventy thousand includes fire and rescue. Eighty percent of that 70,000 is rescue sails. Mayor Carollo: Whereas before, when we were doing 20,000, we were doing very, very little then. OK. If I recollec4 you had... Chief Gimenez: Right. Mayor Carollo:... Randall -Eastern and others. Chief Gimenez: Right. Mayor Carollo: Do you have any projections for the nerd five years, as to how many additional firefighters you might be requiring? Chief Gimenez: Well, I can't really... I can't address that right now. I have to look at our run projections for the next five years and where they are going to be, and then come hack with some kind of a plan that if we do need additional resources, where are we ,going to put theta and what kind of additional resources we need? Mayor C amllo: We really heed to do that, Chief, became we can't be going only from year to year and estimating what we need at the last. moment. This is basically what we have done with the Police Department, and we really need to do this, also, with the Fire Department, to go and give some projections as to how many additional firefighters we will need, what additional equipment we need, and so on and so forth. 19 September 9, 1996 Chief Gimenez: Yes, sir. MayorCarollo: Vice Mayor. Vice Mayor Gort: Mayor, I do .have one question. In looking through the budget, I could with the... You allocated quite a few funds, and you have volunteers working with you i re prevention. It seems that that is working, because I can see you are working very closely with the Building Departments where you are requiring certain ode compliance for the new buildir , when., if code was to happen, it would be less of ra fire. than if you wouldn't have had compliance. My understanding is you have put more emphasis in that, also., Chief Gimetuez: Yes, sir, Last year, we added an additional seven inspectors to the Fire Fteveaition Bureau gust for that... for that to happen. Vice Mayor Cott: Thank you. Mayor Cello: Last question from me. In as far as training, do you have adequate funding in this budget for the training of... for fire personnel, fire and rescue's Chief Gimenez: We have sufficient funds in here for the training. I would like to say that we have what's called a training shift, that we have 20 personnel that are on a different wrxic schedule. They come in and take. the place of the firefighters that are on duty. So we: have 2.buut 20 firefighters per day doing some kind of training. So we have a tremendous amount of training, a ,great training program: I did say before that we did need some extra additional capital money in the training center, mainly in our fire training simulator, in order to give our firefighters a live fire... Mayor Cello: Uh-huh. Chief Gimenez:... experience, and better training in that area. Mayor Carollo: Yes. Do you how much a simulator cost? Chief Gimenez: It runs about a million dollars ($1,000,000). - , Mayor Carollo: About a million dollars ($1,000,000)? OK Would you say that's the number one priority that you world have right now, or... Chief C4menez: As far as on the fire -fighting side, yes. Mayor Carollo: OK Chlo.f Gimenez: As far as training our firefighters. Unidentified Speaker: Mr. Mayor. Chief Gimenez: 'Where are other priorities that I have over on a department -wide basis. But as far as training, that is the number one priority. Mayor Cello: OK Does the County have a fire simulator? Chief Gimenez: No, they don L 20 September 9, 1996 Mayor C atollo: They do not have one. OK, dues anyone have one in South Florida? Aa , department? Chief Ciimenez: I am not sure.. There are various departments around the country that do. As a matter of fact, more than I thought initially had them, they do. The Davy has them 1 mean, a buneb of different departments have these fire simulators. Mayor Cm)llo: if we buy one, do you think the County would be interested in training their personnel and... Chief C1im+enez: I am sure that the County and other departments around this area would be very interested in having that kind of simulator. Mayor C arollo: Well, if they do, then do you think that they will want to share some of the cost with us? Chief Gimenez: I think that we could probably generate some revenue. Yes, sir. Mayor Carollo: "Yes. I would appreciate it very much, Chief, if you could contact your counterparts in the larger departments to see if they might want to share and buy one, or at least with some of the smaller departments. We can work out some arrangement% where they can use it for a fee. Chief Gimenez: OK, Mayor Caroilo: Thank you. Vice Mayor Gort: We can charge thew for the use. Commissioner Reg;aladm Of course. Commissioner Dawkins: Question, Mr. mayor, over here. Commissioner Regalado: I have a question, also, Mayor Carollo: Yes. Commissioner Replado. Commissioner Regalado: Thank you. Are we going to participate more in terms of calls that come from other cities or countries. It seems that being a first class fire department, we are not, or we do not have the visability that, for instance, Dade County Fire Department has, and yet, that panicipation does not cost any money to the County, because it has been paid by the State Department or FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) in different cases. Do you have any plans, in terms of this project? Chief 8 aimenez: Yes, sir. Back in 1991, a couple of fire fighters approached me about wanting to establish a USER (United States Emergency Response) team, and that's the team that you see Metro -Dade go off to Oklahoma City and 11 that. We were successful in establishing that team. I got a call a couple of weeks ago from FEMA saying that they will give us a letter in November stating ttt we will be one of the 25 designated USER teams. And we are a sponsoring agency. We are the sponsoring agency for Florida Task Force I1. We have already been deployed once for Hurricane Opal, and we were also deployeed for the Olympics. So we are getting very much involved in those types of activities, Mayor C arollo: Any further questions from the Commission to the Fire Chief? Any further statements, Chief? 21 September 9, 199F a Chief Gimenez: No, sir. Mayer Carollo: 11tank you very much for coming, you and your staff. Chief 01menez: Thank you. Mr. Smith: Mr. Mayor, can I suWat maybe, the next one to be GSA (General Services Administration) Solid Waste's Mayor Carollo: That will he fine, Mr. Smith: OK. `aide Mayon Gort: Mr. Mayor, before... It is not that I don't think any less of the other departments, but, unfortunately, I have a meeting I have to attend to in Broward, and I will be getting together... If you have any questions, I will be sending a memo, but I will be getting together with department directors to go over the budget. Thank you. ............ ......................... ........................................................................... 3. BUDGET HEARING -- POLICE HORSES STABLES Commissioner Dawkins: Before you leave Commissioner, I would like to say this. I would hope that this Commision would not permit us to put horses stables in residential neighbonhmv .ds where parrs are. I would assume... I would hope that we would not do that. And I would just, at a later time when the vote comes, I wish we would consider that. Vice Mayor Gort: Well, I imagine that would have to be part of the zoning. They would have to comply with the zoning and— So it's not too mafcy places, but I think they can place iL Commissioner Dawkins: Well evidently, it meets the zoning, because they already talk about doing it. Mayor Carollo: Well, we do have a place in the City of Miami that are... parks big enough and far enough away from residential areas that we could look at, but I think it's something we need to discuss at a regular meeting. Vice Mayor Gort: Thank you. ..........................................................................-__...........,.........------------------ 4. BUDGET HEARING -- GENERAL SERVICES A.DMINISTRATION/SOLID WASTE Mayor Carollo: Sure. 'Thank you, Vine Mayor. Mr. Williams, whenever you are ready, sir. Mr. Williams (Assistant City Manager); Thank you, Mr. Mayor, Commissioners. The Department of General Services Administration (GSA), as you know is a combined department, One, specifically General Services Administration (GSA), operates as are integral service 22 September 9, 199b function, thereby providing direct services to City departments and suppoiling their efforts ,sr. direct service providers to citizens. The other, section or division of the department is the Solid Waste function, which collects four times per week various levels of waste stream from 65,000 homes throughout the City of Miami. We are one of the high service, direct service providers, wherein we perform those four pass -byes in the form of twice weekly garbage collection, once per week trash or rubbish collection, and once per week recycling services. in addition, Mr. Mayor and members of the Commission, on a scheduled basis to those 65,000 residents, we will provide a special pickup or special collection services for bulky or large items that you are not able to get rid of on a weekly basis. We call that high service provision because we think that a commitment to collect those materials from the home of our citiNns, particularly trash, r+ot only once per week but within that same week, is a service level that is one that is difficult to maintain. We will he proposing to the Manager and the Commission alternatives that we think will nerve the same purpose, but allow for different kinds of diversion or recycled/reused prograrns, to try and crake some dent in that heavy commitment to that service level. We collect approximately 17ZOOO tons of various types of material. We dispose of that material at app[Oximately three principal locations. Tbat was performed with a complement last year of 223 em Oyces in the Solid Waste area. And Ave are proposing this particular year to perform that service with 235. With regard to the General Services Administration (GSA), through that organization we provide to departments graphic and reproduction services. We provide communication services, meaning RAF or radio Frequency Communications, as well as your telecommunications, and support the pager system and cell phone network that we now have in the City of Miami. We also provide heavy equipment maintenance activity to all of those departments that use heavy equipment. The principal user is our sister division of Solid Waste .Administration, but also those critical functions of Public Works, Parks and rather services are supported through that function. We have a dollar budget proposed this year, of twenty-four million four hundred and twenty-two thousand dollars ($24,422,000). That's clown from last year's budget of thirty-fbur million, four hundred and seventy-one thousand ($34,471,000). That difference of approximately 29 to 3o percent has to do with the transfer of some of these responsibilities within, in the vehicle maintenance 6rea. That is a general summary, Mr. Mayor, of our service and cost. I'm available, and awaiting any questions that you might have. Mayor Carollo: Mr. Williams, the recycle program that we presently have, how much does it cost in the City of Miami? Mr. Williams: The cost is approximately two million two hundred and eighty thousand dollars ($2,280,000), and I might add, Mr. Mayor, that's also because we group it as a diversion effort that also includes what we. call our composting facility at Virginia Key. Mayor Caroiio: The County, OK But what I am trying to do is divide the recycling from anything else. Mir. Williams: OK. Mayor Carollo: Just the actual pickup of the recycling, blue containers that we all put in front of our horries. Mr. Williams: That would be approximately one point eight million dollars ($1.8 million) if 1 take out the composting or other diversions. Mayor Carrillo: files, it is approximately one point eight (1.8 million). That's the cost. Did you take what we are making out of it or not? Mr. William. No, I did not. The revenue so far this year is approximately seven hundred and sixty thounad ($760,000). Mx. Mayor, I might add that's a fluctuating number. That number has been much higher and... 23 September 9, 1996 Mayor C rnilo-. But 1 understand, depending on the price and paper and glass, and plastics, and avhat Imve you. Mr. Williams: Exactly. Of materials. That does not include also a State recycling grant, 4 which we use to mostly equip our services in the form of vehicles and containers, etc. Commissioner Dawkins: And how much is that grant? Mayor Carollo., Yes. i Mr. Williams: That, that's... 4 Commissioner Dawkins: So the Mayor can figure that in with what he's figurin.g. Mr. Williams: Right. That grant is approximately four hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($450,000). Again, that... Mayor Qrollo: That fluctuates, right? Mr. Williams: That fluctuates, based on State Legislature. } Mayor Carollo: But that grant is for vehicles and so on, right? Mr. Williams: Yeah. We... right. Mayor Carollo: It is not for actual salaries? Mr. Williams: It is not. We have used it in the past, Mr. Mayor, to pay for special salary or overtime situations. We would not want to commit it to long-term staffing because there is no guarantee. Mayor Carollo: Yes. Mr. Williams: And if you make that long-term commitment, then you are locked in. Mayor Carollo: Yes. Mr. Williams: But we have used it to basically equip the diversion programs. Mayor Carollo: So basically, what you have here is a net loss of about a million fifty thousand dollars ($1,050,000) minus whatever you can use in that grant from year to year to help with it. Mr. Williams: Well, not really. Let me just bring in another major piece of that. When we look at recycling programs, a lot of people don't count it, and that's the cost avoidance, OK Mayor Carollo: 'That's the cost of? Mr. Williams: Cast of avoidance. You are avoiding, in this case, approximately twenty-three to twenty-five thousand tons of material that you would have had to pay to dispose of. And if you equate that to our average cost of disposal of approximately forty dollars ($40), that's just a quick number, that's probably in the neighborhood of eight hundred plus thousand dollars. Mayor Caroilo: Yes. 24 September 9, 1996 J'\ Mr, Williams: So the cost avoidance is clearly are offset.. Mayor Carallo: Sure. Mr. Williams:... to some of that expense. Mayor Carollo: Any, anything... just a good way of putting. it to use. But what I am getting at is, will it be cheaper for us if we would look at the possibility of taking the recycling only out into the private sector? Could we save this money or not? Do you have any idea? ( Mr. Williams: Yes, I do. We have looked at it. We think that there is a potential fur savings. } We have met with vendors and talked about it. They have proposed, informally, numbers that S equate to... And I guess they are not so informal, because, clearly, the County progi-arn and othez cities within this community are using them. They have proposed to offer us the same type of program. We have looked at it. We are not completely satisfied at this point, they can guarantee the levels of commitment and service that we want. Nile do want to continue to see how it evolves. One of the major concerns is the market fluctuation. What happens to us if the market taken a seriot% dive, and we are committed out there on a contract that costs a lot of money? One of the things that gives... that we, have in terms of flexibility now, is based on the policy of the Commission, we could decide if the market just totally dropped out to either reduce or change our recycling collection program, and this City will not be committed to a long-term multimillion dollar contract. So, all of those are variables, and, we are continuing to look at them. Mayor Carollo: Well, I think one of the things you need 'to look at in any possibility is to include in any contract negotiations, if that happens, we can immediately terminate the contract with a 30-day clause, that we give them. But, I think that, if what you have stated to me is accurate, that we can save money in present day revenues, then I think that we need to quickly look at that, and if need be, bring it up to an R1jP (Request for Proposals). But it has to be done in a way that the City is fully protected, that we have a full, clear, level playing field, so anybody can participate in the bid. I don't know blow many major companies are out there, if they could or not. And at the same time, they would fully guarantee the City that if any kind of situation happens, as the ones we discussed, that we could pull out of the contract, so that we will not be in a situation where we would be hurt by it. Mr. Williams: Absolutely. And, just for future reference, Mr. Mayor, as you know, we are in contract with a disposal company called Bedminister, who is planning to build a facility. We are kind of on the bubble with them now as to whether that's going to go or not, and we are in consultation with the Law Department... Mayor Carollo: Uh-huh, that... Mr. Williams:... on that. But, they have proposed a single collection effort. Mayor Carollo: OK Mr. William: 'Therefore, eliminating the need for the separate recycling pickup. Mayor Carollo: But, we are at least two years away from them conning on board, and signing this thing, right? Mr. Williams: Yes, Correct. pia 2..tr. V; September 9, 1996 ,_ Mayor C arollo: OK. Now, that was going to be my next question. With Bedminster, where are we at, exactly, with them? Maybe that's more of a question that the City Manager's staff car noswer. I do not know if you have the information there or not. Mr. Williams: 'Yes, yes. I ain familiar with it. It may end up being a question that you would want to refer to the LAw DE:partment, but at this point, we have a commitment schedule of... commitment of payment schedule for them. I... September 1st, was the date, but I must... The reason I bring in the Law Department, it's a little vague because of conditions precedent as to whether or not the date is actually September or November, and I... maybe they can clarify that? But we are in a window here. They really need to make a commitment to the City in the form of a payment. And I do note that it's been scheduled for your discussion at your next Commission meeting, :and, hopefully, they will be here to further their commitment to us. So it's... We are in a window between September and November. Do they make the payment now... We are communicating with them, both in writing and verbally to try and get some understanding as to where they are going to go. But it is really right down to a point where we are going to know what they are going to do pretty quickly here. Mayor C ar+ollo: Fight. Does anyone in the Administration know, or the Law Department if thc� have to come back to this Commission for any further approvals or reapprovals, or if they ha & to go the Administration for the same any approvals or reapprovals? This is something that was approved long before I came on... E Mr. Williams: Absolutely. Mayor Csrollo:... to the Commission. Mr. Williams: Absolutely. Mr. A. Quinn Jones, III (City Atto�mey): Any amendments to the agreement,Commissioner, Mr. Mayor, would have to come back to this Commission for approval. Mayor C arollo: Well, that's obvious in the amendments. But I am saying I am not familiar with the kind of contract that was approved before I came on. Was there anything in that contract that specified that if they weren't operating by a certain time or didn't make payments, they had to get certain reapprovals... Mr. tones: Well, there... Mayor Carollo:... from the Commission? Mr. Jones: No. There were no renewal provisions. There was a termination provision, if they hadn't performed certain conditions precedent by" V date or whatever. Mayor Carollo: Which I would imagine that payment that Mr. Williams is talking about is one of them. Mr. Jones: Yes, yes. So there, is you know... Technically, you could make an argument that they are in default now, bmuse they didn't make the payment. However... Mayer Carollo: They, didn't make the pay... they did or did not make the payment? Mr. Joan; They did not. Mayor Catollo: But when was the payment supposed to be made? 26 September 9, 1996 .y. } Mr. Tones: September ist? Mr. Williams: September 1st. Mr. Lee: September 19t. Mayor. Carollo: September 1st? Mr. Jones: September 1st but... Mayor Carollo: Well, if they didn't make it, then it's like technically, they are in default. Mr. Jones: Well, Commissioner, when I say "technically," because it's a matter of certain clauses in the contract as to whether, in fact, certain things were rewired to have been done as a condition... condition precedent. There actually were conditions precedent, sea you know, as lawyers write contracts, there is also vming interpretation. So, absolutely, November 1st would be the actual drop dead date. Either they make the payment or It's terminated. Mayor Carollo: Right. That's it. Now, what is the payment that they are supposed to be making? What is the amount? Mr. Jones: It's a million.... Is it a million dollars ($1,000,000)? x One million dollars ($1,000,000). Mayor Carollo: One million dollars ($1,000,000). OK. Mr. Smith, can you make sure that both, hopefully, in the next couple of days, no later than that, I get a memo, with copies to the Commission explaining to us this whole situation, as clear as it could be? Because Commissioner Regalado and thyself weren't here when this was approved, and I am sure, some of the other Commissioners. So it has been a while, I believe, since that was approved. We need to refresh out memories as to where we are at with it now. Mr, Smith: I will do it. Mayor Carollo: Thank you. Commissioner Regalado: Mr. Mayor, I have a question. Mayor Carollo: 'Yes. Coo ahead, Commissioner. Commissioner Regalado: Last night, I was reading some of the resolutions that we have to deal with on Dursda , and since we are talking about your department, 1 just wanted to know, one e I read that there is some debris that is going to be moved to a temporary site and then on to a permanent site. And I was wondering if that is a standard procedure, or is this a unique situation. You recall that? Mr. Williams: Commissioner, I am not absolutely certain. Is it an agenda item? Commissioner Regalado: Yes, it is. Yes, it is. On Thursday. And they were talking about some debris... Mr. Smith-, Let me... Does Public Wotks have an item on the agenda regarding moving certain debris from temporary to a location and then to a permanent location after? 27 September 9, 1996 Mr. Wally Lee (Assistant City Manager): We do have an item. Good Moming, Mayor, Commissioners. We do have an item over at our Fern Isle dump, where we... when we rebuild sidewelb and so on. We dump all the material there, and then once a year, we will put out a contract for bid to remove that, and deliver it to a dump. Commissioner Regalado: mouse it is a temporary site, and I thought, well, you know, what are we doing with a temixitnry site/ Mr. Williams: "That... Mr. Lee, that's something he's obviously worked with in Public Works. Commissioner Regalado; Yes. OK.. "Thank. you. Mr. Smith: C mmisxloner Regaledu, this is a method of operating in Public Works when they do construction work, like what Mr. Lee was saying, constructing sidewalks and so forth. The old concrete pieces are deposited there, and once a year the contract goes out so they can be Cut out to a permanent location. Commissioner Dawkins: I would like to make a statement Mr. Mayor. Mayor Carollo: Go ahead, Commissioner. Commissioner Dawkins: I watched all year as the .Solid Waste Department worked Saturdays, and Wednsidays;, which for the Solid Waste Department is overtime. I don't know how many dollars were spent in overtime. I do not know how many men worked in overtime. All I know- is that I constantly and still get complaints that the garbage, and the truck, and the trash is Lot pick&l up. It would have been any concern, in the next year, to find out how much money is spent, how many men, people you worked, and if it would not have been more advantageous te, have hired ,additional people instead of working Saturdays and Sundays, because... and this is just an observation. I don't need... I don't needs any numbers, Mr. Williams. I mean, and also, if I was.., would wonder, you said you transferred "V dollars from our account to some place else - again, some in mirrors. Your transferring it from your department to another department does not reduce the budget. And when you make that implication, I mean, that's all it is, an implication.. And the other observation I have is that with the Recycling gant, it should be put on record that for yewra, that grant was used to purchase equipment that should have been purchased with the general fiord money. So if you start talking about you're subsidizing that program, you ought to talk about the times that oontract subsidized the City's fund. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mayor Carollo: Certainly. Commissioner, any outer questions for him? Commissioner Regalado: I was wondering if, in the budget, we have like 13, almost fourteen million dollars ($14,000,ODO) for sanitary sewers. And does this include the Watson I'sland Project? Mr. Lee: Pardon, Commissioner, can you repeat the question? Commissioner Regalado: Yes. Mr. Lee: an sanitary or storm water? Commissioner Regalado: I am talking about sanitary sewers. Mr. Lee: 0& sanitary. That does include Watson Island. We estimate. We have not gone out to bid yet. We are in the process of getting the permits from DERM, approvals from WASA (Water and Sewer Authority). We estimate the oust at approximately two million ($2,000,000). 28 September 9, 1996 Commissioner Regalado: It's not included here, though. It is? Mr. Lee: Well, what we do have is, a bond issue, issued 12 years ago, where certain monies were committed to certain areas of the City for sanitary sewers. For example, in Coconut Grove, I think sanitary sewers are estimated at about eight point nine million ($8.9 million). Until we get the go ahead, we do not proceed with the design and constniction of that particular project. So.. Commissioner Regalado: We won't have any problems? Mr. Lee: Oh, no sir. That money is in place. Commissioner Regaiado: OIL. Thank you. Mayor Carollo: Ron, what was the requested budget you made this year versus what you have been allocated here now? Mr. Williams: On Solid Waste, Mr. Mayor, the requested budget was nineteen million fifty- eight thousand four hundred and sixty -Four ($19,058,464). The approved budget is sixtte,,n million five hundred seventy thousand two hundred and ninety-two ($16,570,292). General Services Administration (GSA) requested budget was twelve million fifty-seven thousand two hundred and twenty -trine ($M057,229). The approved budget, eight million eight hundred and fifty-six thousand thirty-two ($8,856,032). Mayor Carollo: So you have about three and a half million dollars less than you requested... Mr. Williams: Yes. Mayor Carollo: ... on the Solid Waste budget, and... Mr. Williams: Yes. Mayor Carollo:... pretty close to three and three quarter million dollars. Mr. Williams: Approximately 3.2 in the General Services. Mayor Carollo: Yes, close to three and three quarter, Mr. Williams: Good. Mayor Carollo: And do you have... Right here, you have over six million ($6,000,000), that's seven million dollars ($7,000,000), excuse me. Seven point two, two fifty, under what you requested, which brings up the question to me. How badly in need are you in need of trueAm, equipment and what was the additional money that you requested supposed to have gone to? Mr. Williams. 'Yes. Let me go with the trucks first. And we had requested that, I thin, it was approximately five million dollars ($5,000,000), but I will give you the exact number here. In the replacement equipment budgeted, that amount, I am advised, will be platxxl in another account by the Finance Department to take care of the replacement and purchase of equipment. So that money was not budgeted in our regular budget and will be provided through that funding source... ? Mayor Carollo: You see, but these are... 29 September 9, 16 s+ Mr. Williams:... by the Finance Department. Mayor Carollo: ... the things we need to have spelled out in the budget, Ron. We can't be working with the type of system that we have that, you know, it is like putting the pea in the three little glasses and you moving it around to see where you can find it. If these were monies that... Good Morning, Commissioner. If these were monies that you needed in your department, and it's got to be allocated for somewhere else: then we need to spell them out. See where it's coming from. Mr. Williams: Yes, I understand. And in that same regard, I think often... and Finance can speak for themselves. They are not absolutely certain how and where they are going to fund that particular source and need to do it. But, I tnear.�, that would have to be addressed by them directly. Mayor Carollo. Uh-huh. Mr. Williams: The other dollars Mr. Mayor... Unidentified Speaker: Had to do with communications. Mr. Williams: Yeah, had to do with increases that we wanted to make in the communications area. And that had to do with additional positions and so forth, and we have worked through some of that and found out ways to work around them. The bulk of the increase in Solid Waste had to do with the additional 21 positions that we wanted to put together a prograin to try and address the so-called illegal dumping or "fly dumping" as people like to call it. As the Commission is aware, and should be, all of that dumping has to be addressed by the same staff. As I commented in my opening, in my opening thoughts, if the same people have to do both the scheduled routes and the unscheduled, through illegal activities on the part of people that dispose of material without paying for it, that often throws us off schedule; often puts us in a situation where we. are struggling to provide those services that we have committed to the citizens to provide. In addition, as you know, Miami is an event town, and a street festival City, and a fun City. And we support those functions. So, we wanted to address separately and independently a way to work through the NET (Neighborhood Enhancement Teams) offices and address this illegal or "fly dumping" problem, which we estimate to be someplace in the neighborhood of 750 as high as a million dollars ($1,000,000). Tkere is no way to strictly catalog it, because it's sporadic and unknowing. And then, the other part of it is, if you don't pick it up immediately, I know some of you officers get the calls, then the piles grow on you, and become twice of what they were, wish they were initially. So we thought that was the way to do it. What we are proposing, as I mentioned to you earlier is that we are going to try and address that through another way. We want to work with the Manager and the Commission through a different kind of pilot where people that do not require the major cra-me collection type Service, the big rubbish trucks, that we can give them a small container and collect that on a different fashion. We think if that works out, and we are talking about trying to do that with maybe 10 to 20 percent of the neighborhoods at this point, If that works out, we are then able to shift some of the heavy requirements, i.e., major illegal diunping areas, major rubbish disposal requirements that citizens have. We will be able to shift some of those resources over there. So that's the way, the way that we are proposing to try and work on it and resolve it, Mr. Mayor. We certainly would communicate with you as to how that project goes. Mayor Carollo: Bo. Commissioner Plummer: I have a question. U September 9, 1996 11 ayor Carollo: Let me ask one more, ,I.L.., then you can start. Do you have any bud let projections for the nett five years for your department, in as 'far as the additional personnel that you are going to be needing, the additional equipment that you will be needing, and the additional dollars that you will be having to spend to meet your present demands? Mr. Williams: Yes, I do. I have the very clear numbers on equipment that's required, because we have a very defined replacement schedule. We are hoping, very much so, that we are able to get to a level of staffing that's sufficient to support the base core service. And throughout the increase in diversion information, and pushing citizens to help us with the yard waste program, we are hoping to be able to, you know, with just minor increase, maintain the same staffing level, but the equipment we do have very clearly. Mayor Carollo: Flo you have amounts that you can read to me for the five years, say, Ron, available? Mr. Williams: Y s, I do. This year... and this is on equipment. '96-'97, the overall equipment needs would be five hundred and twenty-three thousand nine hundred and three ($523,903); '97- '98 one million forty-seven thousand ($1,047,000). has a matter of fact, it would straight line there, through the year 2001 at one million forty-seven thousand eight hundred and six dollars. ($1,047,806). Now, I might add that, Mr. Mayor, that when we plan for equipment, we don't think just... That number just does not include Solid Waste, but it includes the overall heavy equipment needs... Mayor Carollo: I understand. Mr. Williams:... of Public Works and other departments and responsible for Mayor Carollo: How about for personnel? Mr. W;Iliams: Again, on personnel I don't have a five-year projection. But we are :roping to maintain approximately the same staffing level, because we think That what if the diversion program goes like its going, we will be able to maintain Ievel staffing. Mayor Carollo: Can you work on that also, Ron... Mr. Williams: Yes, I can. Mayor Carollo:... to be sure? Mr. Williams: Yes, I can. Mayor Carollo: Thank you. Commissioner Phnnmer. Commissioner Plummer: First of all, let me apologize for being late. I am in the type of business where my customers don't make. appointments. So anyhow. Ron, one of the biggest problems that we have around here, and I am sure that my coileagues will agree, is the dumping of tires. And we fired that these companies are collecting for the disposal, and yet, what they are doing is throwing them in somebody else's backyard. Then we go around for Code Enforcement, and we hit them with a fine for illegal dumping. We are having the same problem with the grafetti, problem, where owners of buildings are being spray painted at night, and then we go around the next day, and tell the owner that he has to eliminate it or we fine hire, and he had nothing to do with it. Is there anything doing or anything in the works presently for the disposal of tires, where we can possibly say, "hey, you don't have to throw them in somebody's backyard, you can take them over here and dispose of them," thereby eliminating the problem. 31 September 9, 1996 At one time, there was a company who said that they were going to Shred them and use the shredding for something. is that company in effect? Is... Mr. Williams: Right. Yeah, the Whole Dubber and Plastic Store, and they were going to make highways and all this stuff. And most of that, quite frankly, Commissioner, has not developed I don't thinly the technology is there, and as you know, the market drives the technology. So they were talking about shipping them out of the country, remember, putting them on a big barge and shipping them to various places throughout the country, I mean around the world, and we have not heard much from them. Let me ,just comment on... Commissioner Plummer: Excuse me. What are you doing with them now? I am assuming that you collect theta. Theta what do you do with them? Mr. Williams: 'tyire collect them when they are illegally dumped. We take them to a Dade. County facility out off the Palmetto that has a shredder, a tire shredder. And we are supped to be... The cost of our disposal itself should be, offset through a state grant that the County gets, and I think, it the dollar... It's like one dollar ($1) per tire that the County, you know, gets for each tire we bring out there. Our cost does not go away, because we have to collect them. And its illegal, and it continues to contribute to poor efforts. This disposal side of it, we pretty much got that worked out through the County, and that shredder and the State grant. Now, the problem with tires, Commissioner, is a financial one. As most of it is illegal dumping, you know, tires are $75 bucks a ton k) dispose of. .And people, just don't want to pay that tag. I know Carlos Smith, through the NET Office, has been working with the tire retailers to ensure that they have contracts, legitimate good contracts with people to dispose of their tires because a, lot of them, as you Uow, de not come from the guy that has just changed four tires, and had a set of new tires in his yard. It's from those major tire retailers, and I think that's... Commissioner Plummer: Are the retailers aware, that there is such a facility available? Mr. Williams: Well, it is not available... Commissioner Plummer: Were they encouraged to use that facility? Mr. Williams: The retailers would contract with a tire haul -away person, and that person has to pay that $75 bucks. The shredding rebate that I mentioned to you, that is available to us, would not be available to that retailer nor the contractor. Commissioner Plummer: And if.. The number you just quoted for the Mayor, in reference to heavy equipment, that does not include any automobiles at all'? Mr. Williams: No, it does not. Mr. Smith: If I... Because this is a very critical issue of illegally dumping, not only tires, but grass and so forth. We have tried to place emphasis on those issues in the NET offices. We have, in the first six months of this year, we issued more Solid Waste tickets than all of last year with respect to one dollar ($1). Additionally, we have surveillance by inspectors, as well as police officers in some of the neighborhoods. In Allapatha, for example, in the last month, they have arrested, I believe, something like 15 people already for dumping illegally. In Little Haiti, we are using the citizens on patrol at night to patrol some areas, and we have been very successful in maintaining _t clean. So, you know, I think those that trash still goes some place, I don't know where it goes, but we are trying to really aggressively address the issue. Mayor Carollo: You mentioned Allapatha and the NET Director of Allapatha, Eddie Borges has done a tremendous job. 32 September 9, 1996 ram Jl Mr. Smith: Yes, he has. Mayor Carollo: The basic problem that we have within all the NETS is that we do not have sufficient personnel to keep them open, at least until midnight and one in the morning, with the code inspectors to be able to do that, and a lot of the dumping is happening at night after the NET office is closed. it is not happening during the daytime hours. Mr. smith: Most definitely, Mayor Carollo: So we need to start changing that. And I think that is why Borges has been successful. His started shifting some of these people around to work at night. ;Mr. Smith: Right. Commissioner Plummer: Yes, I have one other question. I Noticed that a lot of the trash, as well as garbage people, are out working on Saturdays. Are they being overtimrmed or are they within the regular framework of work? Mr. Williams: That's overtime, Commissioner. Again, our commitment, and your office gets the calls, is that not only will we pick that trash up every week, but we wiil pick it up within that week. And it's an additional cost. But, Commissioner, what happens, as you well know, with both the illegal and the legal set out, if you let it stay there, and sometimes we are tempted to do that, if we have bad weather, or for some reason we are behind, but as you well know, if you let it stay there over the weekend it just grows and almost doubles. So the neighborhood looks terrible, and our cost of disposal will be increased. We made a decision to... We make. the decision weekly, if we are behind to... Commissioner Plummer: So you don't do it every week? Mr. Williams: No, we do not. We do not do it every week. Commissioner Plummer: Oh. Mr. Williams: We do it much more than we would like to do it though. Commissioner Dawkins: But you do it Wednesdays and Saturdays. Mr. Williams: 'Wednesdays and Saturdays. Commissioner Dawkins: Yeah. Commissioner Plummer only asked about Wednesday. Commissioner Plummer: Saturday. I asked about Saturday. Mayer Carollo: Ikon, let me explain to you one of the areas I see that we are having a major problems in the Solid Waste Department. This is... Don't take it wrong, it's gust a suggestion I want to make. We see it in our office when the complaints come, that every time that there is a payday on Thursday, Fridays we have dozens of people that don't show up to work in time Solid Waste Department, and scores of garbage is not being picked up in the streets, and this is part of the reason that sometimes we are having to pay overtime. for Saturdays. Because once every two weeks', on payday, Thursday, Friday, people don't show up to work. We. can't finish the routes on Friday, therefore we have to pay overtime on Saturdays. I would like to suggest the following and I am sure it could be done. This is something the Finance Department is going to have to work out, and it should be done really Citywide. Instead of paying on Thursdays, we 33 September 9, 1996 should go to what is normal in most instances, and we pay on Fridays. I think that will help alleviate a lot of your overtimes on Saturdays. In the same time, I think it will help the City, Citywide. Commissioner Plummer: Joe, let me say to you that we used to do. And a lot of the problems that were incurred were that City employees were not ablE to get their checks into the bank. And a lot of employees had a problem with not getting that check into the bank over the weekend, writing c:heciks over the weekend, and not having sufficient funds in their bank account. And that's why we went to a Thursday, instead of a Friday. Mayor Carollo: Well Commissioner, I can understand that, but what is happening is that we are having dozens of employees that, after they get a paycheck on Thursday, they are not showing up to work on Friday. 'Then, I am sorry some of there are going to have to be inconvenienced, maybe all of them, for the sake of running a more efficient City. And I guess we all are going to have to make sure that we plat; our financial schedules a little better. Commissioner Plummer: One of the differences today, that didn't exist back then, was :that you have electronic snail, or electronic banking, where it can be direct deposit. And that can be. done today, and what your suggestion is could be done. Mayor Ggrollo: Sure. If the Finance Department can immediately, not six months from now, not a year from now, can immL,: iately get back to this: Commission with the appropriate change so we could implement this change and make Friday payday Citywide, instead of Thursday. Mr. Parekh: On that topic, Mayor, we also have an issue of direct deposit which we could do effectively, very quickly. Mayor Carolle: Now, that's something that could be offered to all the City employees and... Mr. Parekla: Yes, it is offered right now. Mayor Carollo: Very good. OK. Any Commissioner? Commissioner Phtmmer: Joe, did you take Police yet? Commissioner Regalado: I have a question for Mr. Williams. Since you deal with communications, the White Mouse announced several weeks ago that they were issuing about 50,00 portable phones to the different police departments in terms of helping the citizens an patrol. I was wondering, how many phones are we getting in the City of Miami? Mr. Witliarns: I don't have a number directly, Commissioner, and I don't know if the Chiefs office or the Police Department has been contacted directly. Captain J. Lzngueim (Dep. Commander, Polio Support Svcs.l: We are just finishing. Commissioner, Captain L,oagueira. We are just finishing that application to the Federal Govemntent right now. I don't know exactly how many phones we will end up with, but we have requested phones for every neighborhood. CDmraissioner Regalado: Because the question now, I have been patrolling with some of the citizens in the past, and they have a radio which they have to call home, and then from home, call the office. And they complain that in case of an emergency, they could be killed. So, do you think that we will be able to have sufficient funds, not only for, I mean, not for all the citizens on patrol, but at least for some areas in which crime is higher than others? 34 September 9, 1996 Capt. Long►seira: I know that we are requesting a number that we feel is sufficient. It's whether or not the Federal Govern went and that program is going to have enough phones to give us. And we won't know that for a while. Commissioner Plummer: What they are doing in New York, just for your information, is issuing cellular phones that only could be dialed to 911 or to the local police department. Capt. Longueira: Right. That's what this program is. Commissioner Regalado: Yeah. Commissioner Plummer: Yeah, that's what they are doing in New York. Commissioner Regalado: This is the 50,000. Yeah, this is the kind that... Commissioner Plummer: Yeah, that was the pilot program. Mr. Williams: Commissioner, I just would add, in terms of additional information, for the past at least three years now, we have received phones and air time for NET offices from one of our local vendors. Mayor Carollo: Any finrther questions from the Commission? Ron, 4ny further statements you would like to make? Mr. Williams: No, sir, Mr. Mayor. Mayor Carollo: Well, thank you very much to you and your staff for being here. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. BUDGET BEARING -- POLICE DEPARTMENT Commissioner Plummer was unable to make the entire meeting. He would like to ask one question of the Police Department, and; Chief Martinez maybe you can help him. Commissioner Plummer: One of the things that Mayor Carollo has been very insistent upon., and I think it's something that we all would agree upon is the need for more policemen, no question about it. But that need creates a financial responsibility, also. I know that the number that Commissioner Carollo used is around 200, and I don't know that we could even be snaking that deadline by this year, but we could work towards it. My question is, what impact financially, would that make, and more so, what would have to give, and what would have to be readjusted, if, in fact, we get anywhere near... let's say we get a 100? If we are that successful, what has been given in consideration for increasing Police personnel, and, I hope, PSAs (Public Service Aidefor tits budget itself? Assistant Chief Ray Martinez: Our current general fund budget for police officers is the same as last year, 1,015. We. have received federal funding from the Cops Program for an additional 1.02 officers that requires a snatch by the City of Miami, and we have worked with the Finance Npariment to snake sure that the City can provide that match. Our goal this year is to have a net pin of 102 police officers,102. Commissioner Plummer: One hundred two? 35 September 9, 1996 Assistant Chief Martinez: One hundred two? Commissioner Plummer: Or% . Assistant Chief Martinez: Which is above the 1,015. So our goal for the end of the year is to be at current staffing of 1,117. Commissioner Plummer: But that Federal funding is only what, two years? Assistant Chief Martinez: Three years. Mayor Carollo: Four. Three going into four. Assistant Chief Martinez: Three. Commissioner Plummer: Three years. Assistant Chief Martinez: Well there are several different grants. The 0rst one being the Hiring Supplemental Gram, and each one of theca is a three-year program. Now, when that grant wras awarded, the hiring supplemental was back in 1994, we received cops ahead in '95. So each one of those is three years, and it spaces out over time. Commissioner Plummer: OK Now, he asked ivfore about a five-year program. Do you have figured in at the end of the third or fourth yeas that, that's not going to be funded by the Feds? That we are going to be able to take over and carry the load? Assistant Chief Martinez: Well, that's been ... We have sae down with the Finance Department, and i know the Chief has sat down with the Mayor and talked about those goals, and obviously, that is part of what the Police Department wants to ensure. Mavor Carollo: Commissioner, there are going to be sufficient programs for law enforcement that we could be moving from one program to another. But at the same time, it is going to be our responsibility yours, mine, the rest of the Commission, to make sure that in the next four to five years, we bring sufficient new revenue to this City. So that even if we would lose old Federal grants, which we would not, for extra police officers, that this City on its own would be financially stable, sufficiently financially stable, to be able to pay for the extra police officers that we do need to be able to progress into the next century. Commissioner Plummer: I hear you, and I hope that we are very much in that way. But let me ask one other additional question. My concern is that... and it has been for years, and that is that we are providing sworn officers to the School Board. I don't know that we have any... How many SBOs (School Resource Officer) do we have left, School Resource Officers? But I know by listening to the radio that all day long, in the mornings and in the afternoon, sworn officers are 'being lulled off the street and going to do a school patrol for two hours in the morning, two hours in the afternoon, and because they are gene off of patrol, the calls back up, three and four hours. I mean, that's one of the reasons. It would seem logical to me, and I have said this for many, years. Mayor, you heard it when you were here before. If the School Board has a polio department why do we have to utilize our personnel to do what they should be doing? They have funding like we do. They have ten milts, we have ten mills in the County. Now, why are we providing that service to them, when we really don't have the manpower to do it? We are not getting paid to my knowledge. We were at one time through additional license tag fees. But it just.... it seems logical to me, we don't have the manpower. Now, what have you done, if you agree with me... 36 September 9, 1996 W Assistant Chief Martinez, Well that... Commissioner Plummer:... what have we done to say to the School Board, "hey, guys, you have a responsibility and you are going to have to live up to it" 'I Assistant Chief Martinez: As far as the School Resource Officers, themselves, the individuals that used to work in the schools full-time, we have completely done away with that program, We've decentralized it and put that responsibility into the different NET officers, They don't have a designated School Resource officer anymore The concern I think you are raising is the school crossing guard, where in the morning... Commissioner Plummer: Yes. Assistant Chief Martinez:... when the kids are going to school, and in the evening when they are getting out of school in the afternoon. Commissioner Plummer: And please let me stop you. Don't let anybody misconstrue that I alto going to do anything to get in the way of the safety of the children. So I don't saint that misconstrued. What I am saying is, it seems like it's somebody else's responsibility, and yet we are doing it, and it is causing a problem for us. Assistant Chief Martinez: We currently have or are budgeted for 32 school crossing guards for the City of Miami. That's not enough personnel. These are part-time temporary employees to staff the school crossing guards. Commissioner Plummer: The last time I asked about that program, yes, you have budgeted for 32, but you had something like 11. Assistant Chief Martinez: No, we have I think,.. I think the number is 28 by now but we... Commissioner Plummer: That you could't get them because people didn't want to work paut- time. ,Assistant Chief Martinez: ... but 32 is... won't staff all the school crossing posts in the City of Miami. Commissioner Plummer: But why? You know, excuse me. Why isn't the School Board doing that which seems to be logically their responsibility? Assistant Chief Martinez: We do receive revenues from traffic fines, from the School Crossing Guard Program, Dade County. This is a problem that every department in Dade County I know, is experiencing the same problem, as well as Metro -Dade. Just last week, the Chief and the staff met, and we are trying to put a proposal together to go to the Dade Chiefs, so the Dade Chiefs as a whole ,could, in fact, go to the School Board and ask them, you know, the very same question. We need some help. We feel that it is the responsibility of the School Board, and they probably can do a much better job than we can do, of recruiting parents or teachers, or whoever to go out and mart those posts. But it is a problem throughout Dade County that we do receive some revenue. It doesn't pay enough to cover all the salaries of the people. We do have a problem hiring the people because of the way the system is set up. They only work two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon, and basically make a minimum wage. Commissioner Plummer: I would like to see if you could. Pick any month you want, July, August` I would like to see a total month, amount of hours involved with sworn officers, for school crossing guards, It°s going to... I think it's going to blow your mind. 37 September 9, 1996 W,M I A Assistant Chief Martinez: It's without a doubt. Commissioner Plummer: We need them on the street, Assistant Chief Martinez: We tried to staff them first with PSAs (Publio. Service Aidea). Sometimes there are not enough PSAs, and we have to supplement with sworn officers. Commissioner Plummer: Final question that I ask every department head, is there anything in your budget, not In your budget, that you thought was critical that was not allowed? Assistant Chief Martinez: Yes. well that's... Commissioner Plummer: Yes. It puts you on the spat. 'That's right. Assistant Chief :Martinez: Yes. That's a loaded question there Oi-minissioner, if I c*uld. Commissioner Plummer: Absolutely. Because I don't want you come back later and say, "if you had approved that thing in the budget I would have been OV. Now, I am asking you now, is there anything that you asked for in your budget, that you didn't get, that you think was critical? Assistant Chief Martinez: When we sat down, similar to what the Fire Department did... Commissioner Plummier: Which every department does. Assistant Chief Martinez: ... we had some capital needs that we feel were essential for the department, and we sat down at our budget hearing and presented them to the Finance Department, as well as to the City Manager's staff. Obviously, we were asked to go back and fine tune our list, and try to scale it down. 'There were some items that we felt were essential. Some of them we did receive the funding for, such as the AFS (Automated Fingerprint System) machine, which is the automated fingerprint system and some other items. But there are some needs that we have that we feel that could help the department in the future. Commissioner Plummer: I would like to see that list afterwards. I don't need it now. Assistant Chief Martinez: OiCe Unidentified Speaker:... mention the AFS (Automated Fingerprint System) Thursday. Mayor Carollo: For Commissioner Plummer's reference, give him the requested budget that the Police Department made, in the actual budget... Commissioner Plummer: Yes. What I am getting at... Mayor Carollo:... that was given, so he can see the difference. Commissioner Plummer: That's what I am getting at. Assistant Chief Martinez: Very good. Mayor Carollo: Can you give it to him? You had it before, I believe? Assistant Chief Martinez: Yes, sir. 38 September 9, 1996 4 'i Commissioner Piumrn= I don't need it right now, I... Mayor Carollo: Well, he can give it to you vernally. You should hear it. Commissioner Plummer: OK. Yeah, but I want you, also, if you are going to do it now, and you are going to do it verbally, I want you to separate out one of the regular budget and that which would nonn2ily go to the Capital Improvement Program. Because that Capital Improvement Program fluctuates, of course, every year as to the available funds that are in it. And we take advantage or we don't take advantage of what monies are there or what's in the balance. Joe, how long do you plan on going? Mayor. Carollo.- We are going on until noon, break and then come rack, unless you want to go straight through. I don't mind doing it. Commissioner Plummer: No, no. I have got to leave aroL:.,' noon. Mayor Carollo. Well, that's fine. That's understandable. It's not required of you. Commissioner Phunmer: And Chief, I know that always, when you sit down initially at budget time, you go with a wish list. That's everything, pie in the sky, knowing that you are going to get cut and hope you get at least 80 percent of what you ask for in the pie in the sky. So that's why I want to know what you asked for, so I can look at it. Because normally, we don't see it. It's cut out before it gets to us. Assistant. Chief Martinez: Our original request was for approximately a hundred and nine million dollars ($109,000,tn00). We are currently funded for a hundred and one ($101,000,000). Commissioner Plummer: You came close. That's in capital improvement? Assistant Chief Martinez: No, sir. That does not include the capital improvement. Commissioner Plummer: How much? 'That's what I am asking. How much of that was capita', improvements? Assistant Chief Martinez: None of that was capital improvements. We had a separate request for capital improvements. Mayor Carollo: So that's a hundred and nine million ($109,O00,000) or a hundred and fourteen million ($114,000,000) you requested? Assistant Chief Martinez: It was a hundred and nine million ($109,000,000) in our original request... Mayor Carollo: OK. Assistant Chief Martinez:... not including the capital improvements. Mayor Carollo: OK. Not including. OK. You took that out. Assist Chief Martinez: Yes, sir. Commissioner Plummer: How much did you ask for in capital improvements and how much did you get? 39 September 9, 1996 &4 Assistant Chief Martinez: Well some of the capital improvements were a very large wish list, which we just included.,. Commissioner Plummer: I understand. I know those. I have been here 26 years. I know how they work. Assistant Chief Martinez: Our total capital improvements was twenty million ($20,000,000). Commissioner Plummer: 'That's your request? OK. Assistant Chief Martinez: Yes, sir. Commissioner Plummer: And I would like to see the list of what was approved and what wasn't approved. Then, I would like a second list telling me between the 109 and the 101, which was not included. I don't need it now. ......... -....... -............ -............. .--------------- ••--------- ------------------------------------__----- b. BUDGET HEARING -- FIRE DEPARTMENT - EIGHTEEN MILLION DOLLAR ($18,000,000) BOND -------------------_-_---_--____-----------_---_-----_------_-_-_---------_----_.------------------------------ Comm issioner Plummer: You took Fire? Mayor C arollo: We took Fire. Do you have any further questions? Commissioner Plummer: I would like to ask the same questions of the Fire Department. Mayor C arollo: Sure. Commissioner Plummer: You heard the questions. Do I need to repeat them? Mayor C'arollo: Basically, I went through that with them but I think it would be good... Commissioner Plummer: OK. Mayor Carollo:... that they give you the answer also, Commissioner. Chief Carlos A. Gimenez(Fire Department): Basically additional funding that we need is about one point eight million dollars ($1.8 million) for the next ten years, to Band our capital needs for the department. Commissioner Plummer: You got all in your regular budget that you requested? Chief Gimenez: No, sir. Commissioner Plummer: How much did you not get.? How much is your budget proposed right now? I don't... Chief Girnenez: Forty-nine print five million ($49.5 million) on one side and two point three ($2.3 million) on the other side. Commissioner Plummer: And what did you ask for.? 40 September 9, 1996 W Chief'Gimenex: I believe we asked for about fifty-one million ($51,000,000) on one side. commissioner Plummer: All right. Now, particularly with the Fire Department, I am more conoerned with you because of your talk about going with the bond issue, OK. Chief Gimenex: 'Yes, sir. Commissioner Plummer: And you are talking a bond issue of approximately how much? Chief Galt enea: Eighteen trillion. ($18,000,000). That's the one point eight million ($1.8 trillion) over ten years. Ccimmissioner Plummer: OK, I would like to see a list from you of what you asked for, which was not included. Two trillion dollars ($2,000,400) obviously? Chief Gimenex: Approximately, yes. And I think most of that was the capital items that we are looking to, on a ten year program. Commissioner Plummer: 0& Chief Gimenex: OK - Commissioner Plummer: 7rbank you. --------------------------- - - 7 . BUDGET HEARING -- PUBLIC WORKS Mr. Carlos Smith (Assistant City Manager): Public Works, Mr. Mayor? Mayor Carollo: Public Works. Commissioner Plummer: Iftat page? Mr. Wally Lee (Assistant City Manager): Good morning again, Mayor and (;o mtissioners. The Npartment of Public Works is responsible for the planning, design and i zspection of Capital improvements. Unidentified Speaker One hundred three? Commissioner Plummer: One hundred three? Mr. Parekh: One hundred four. Mr. Lee. Construction work involving public improvements and maintaining street, sidewalks and public right-of-ways. We also provide storm drainage protwtion to the storm sewers utility sptem. Additionally, this department implement-, and administers the street, the City mutt lighting system. As of this budget, we will also be responsible for upkeeping of public latping and maintenance of all perk facilities and equipment. For this budget, we have approved 77 permanent employees in Public Works and 1nO permanent employm in Property Mainw4ance and ground Maintenance.. Do you have any specific questions, Mayor, Commissioners? 41 September 9, 1996 lftl, M4M+�yox C:hrollo: I do, Wally. Whet is your present budget that was allocated versus your re sled budget that you made? Mr. l.,ee: The main difference was approximately four hundred and eighty thousand dollars ($480,000), which included additional personnel to improve our repairs of sanitation holes. And we also had some additional capital requests for dump trucks and vehicles, automobiles. Mayor Carollo: The sewers. T'he City of Miami, they do fall under you, right Waily... Mr. 1 : Yes, sir. Mayor Carollo:.. the clean up? Commissioner Plummer: Only storm. Mayor Carollo: Storm service. Commissioner Plummer: Only. Mr. Lee: Yes, sir. Mayor Carollo: How much are we presently receiving from the County for sewer cleanup? Mr. Lee: We are receiving a fee. Mayor Carollo: Right. Mr. Lee: Sine point one million ($9.1 million). Mayor Carollo: How much? Mr. Lee: wine point one million ($9.1 million). Mayor Carollo: Amine point nine... nine point one million ($9.1 million). 'Throughout the last eight years, the last several years, if I may, have we been using those funds that we are getting finm, the County to clean tip our sewers, or we have been throwing dead money or parts of that money into the general fund? Mr. Lee: Well, we have... Of that amount, let's see, nine million, ($9,000,000). Three and a half million goes to Sanitation for maintenance of certain right-of-ways, cleaning, cleaning the right of -ways which would impact the sterns sewers, and another approximately halt million goes to the hire Depailment for support of their hazard material waste section. Mayor Carollo: And the rest of it... Mfr. Lee: The rest of it... Mayor C.arollo:... is all... Mr. Lee- The rest is used.... Mayor Carollo:.., going to Glean up the storm sewers? 42 September 9, 1996 W Mr. I,= ... for maintenance and also constnaction and improvement of storm,, water drains. Mayor Can4lo: if Dade county would challenge you, as to if you were using all that money for w h,qt voc wety supposed to be using it, would you have any problems in defending it? Mr. Tree: Well, based on the Federal guidelines, Commissioner, I feel secure. Certainly, I would like that additional monies, but that's what 1 am receiving. MayorCarollo: And so you would fcel secure that you could defend that those cronies have been toed in the appropriate way that they were supposed to be used for? Mr. Lee: used on the Federal guidelines that the Budget Department gives, yes. Mayer Carollo: Do you have any storm sewers in the City of Miami that haven't been cleaned out in so lord;, in so many years, that amp in real dire need of being cleaned up now? Mr. Lee: No, Commissioner. Right after Hurricane Andrew, approximately four years ago, we went tbzo3gh the whole system and we maintained it on a yearly basis. Obviously, certain ones were getting dirtier than others. Well, people do clump trash in thews. There are cxrtainly many of them that are deficient. They were designed back for, you know,19:.C's and '30s. And based on the new designs, they would be considered inadequate. Mayor Carollo: All right. Going into our sidewalks, Wally, do you feel comfortable enough with the condition of the overall sidewalks in the City of Miami. Mr. Lee: No, sir. Mayor Camllo: What is the main problem we are having in repairing sidewalks? Mr. Lee: I would say the main problem is trees in the... normally in the swale or the green areas adjoining the sidewalk. 'That's one of the major problems. Mayor Carollo: What percent of the sidewalks of the City of Miami would you say are in need of repair? Mr. Lee: I couldn't give you that answer right off the top of cry head, Mayor. But, I could do some research... Mayor Carollo: Right. Mr. Lee: We do have an evaluation... Mayor Carollo; Mr. Lee, I think this is a key issue that we need to get some information on, along with how much it would cost to repair them. Mr. Lee: 'ices, sir. Mayor Carollo: Bemuse the infrastructure of the City, and particularly the sidewalks, it's in a cress. And we are getting scores of lawsuits that you know we are in a position that we ,can't even defend therm, louse of the sad state of affairs of our sidewalks. And we are spending more eery year on paying lawsuits than what it would cost for us to just go out and fix therm. Mr. Len- That Is correct. 43 September 9, 1996 Mayor +trollo: So this is one area that, before the end of the week, I need to get sa�rrtething in paper, as to what percent of our sidewalks need to be repaired, and what the cost to repair those sidewalks would be., along with any other repairs that we need to the infrastructure of out cities and the cost for these repairs. Mr. Lee: Yes, sir. i Mayor Carollo: And if you could send a copy to each member of the Commission. Commissioner Regalado. Commissioner Regalado- Yes. I wanted to ask you about the lawsuits that the Mayor was talking atmut. I understand that we have the custom of settling the suits before they go to court. Is this the regular thing that we do when people fall... S z Mr. Lee: Commissioner... Commissioner Rega.lado:... because of sidewalk problems? Mr. Lee: When we receive a notice that there is a lawsuit involved, we give our best input to the Law Department, and then the Law Department takes that part of the negotiations over. And that's as far as we go. Commissioner Regalado: How many? How many suits have we received? Do you have any, do you recall any figures, in the past? Mr. Lee: Well, I believe Risk Management... Chief Rollason might be able to shed some light. We always, go through his department for investigation. Yes, sir. Deputy Chief Frank Rollason (Risk Management/Fire. Rescue): Commissioner, Good Morning. I am (ief Rollason and I head up the Risk Management Division of the Fire Department, which has Risk Management for the City in the Fire Department now. 'What Wally is talking about is... and what you allude to is exactly correct. It is a business decision. It is not one of what a gut feeling is. We are presented with a claim, that's generally how it comes to us first. We research the claim, we do an investigation, we look at what the expenses are. We go and we visit the site and look at what our liability is, and if it is a low amount, well below three thousand dollars ($3,OO ), and we can settle it, well then Risk Management will do that. If not, we will put together a tort memo with our findings and forward it to the City Attorney, and we will decide if it is worth defending. If we are in a defensible position and in most instances, as I think it's being alluded to here, is that the sidewalks are in such shape, that it is better for us to settle. Since it has been in the Fire Department, what we have been doing when these claims come to us, and in the past years back, sometimes the departments were not even aware that these claims had been filed. In other words, the departments were working hidependently, and Public Works would not even be aware that there was a situation until way after the £act. Commissioner Regalado: Chief, and how many cases are we talking about, do you have any idea? Commissioner Plummer: Hundreds. Chief Rollason: Hundreds. "Hundreds" is a kind estimate. Commissioner Plummer: Oh, yeah. 44 Septemhe:r 9, 19% Mr. A. Quinn Jones, III (City Attorney): You are probably averaging now, Commissioner, at least, I'd say in the last year, we are averaging probably at least three new lawsuits on slip and falls a month, at least. Commissioner Regalado: A. month? Mr. Jones: A month. Chief Rollason: Those are not settled out at that point. In other words you have to look... Commissioner Regalado: No. These are losses. But we are talking about the settled... Chief Rollason: Those arc lawsuit, not claims... Commissioner Regalado:... the odes being settled before going to court. Chief Rollason: Right. And we settled some of those, we settled no more ahead of time. Commissioner Regalado: Most, most. Chief Rollason: Yes. You say, how many per month? Commissioner Regalado: Yes. Chief Rollason: I would say we are probably in the neighborhood of ten, 12, 15, something like that, that we take care of. Commissioner ner Plummer: Yeah, but you know in defense of the City, and Commissioner Carollo... Mayor Carollo is correct. A lot of the times, those sidewalks are not dangerous because of a City action or the lack of City action. You have these people who are contractors that run over a sidewalk with a bull dozer. They tweak the sidewalks, you know. And all kinds of reasons sidewallm get broken. And it is not for normal repair, normal wear and tear. It's somebody else's. I will give you a classic example. The County has a way when they don't want to put a "No Parking" sign up anymore, they come along and cut it off, and this, about this much is sticking up out of the ground. People walking down the sidewalk, they don't see it, they trip over it, and we get a lawsuit, you know. So, I mean, there is other things involved here, other than the fact that the City is not doing a 100 percent of what it should be doing. Mayor Carollo: Well, but that's understandable, Commissioner. But at the same time, we have just stay too many... Commissioner Plummer: Oh, absolutely. Mayor Carollo:... of our sidewalks that are in dire need of repairs... Commissioner Plummer: What's the potential liability we have out there, eighty-six million ($ 36,000,000)? Mayor Carollo: ... and we have just been letting there go on, and go on, and go on in that state. Wherm, the, Law Depwanent is in no position to be able to defend these lawsuits. And what I am saying is, we need to get a true, a real picture of what we need to carry this City forth. We treed to have a rear picture of what this budget is going to be all about, and I want some real numbers from our Director of Public Works... 45 September 9,1996 0 Mr. Lee- You will get them. Mayer Carollo:... by the next City Commission meeting this 17hursday, of how much monies we tread to make sure that all our sidewalks would be repaired appropriately. Because if not, every year we are going to be spending as touch money or more in paying out lawsuits and making payments than we would need to spend now repairing all of there. And this has been going on for quite a few years, Commissioner. Co- mmissioner Plummer: Ch., I know. Chief Rollason: Mr. Mayor, our projection for the coming year is roughly seven hundrend thousand ($700,000) that we are going to pay out. Mayor Carollo: How much? thief Rollason: About seven hundred thousand ($700,000), lust for this corning year. Mayor Carol Just for this corning... that's a projection? Chief Rollason: 'That's a projection. Mayor Carollo: It could be more than that. Chief Rollason: And it probably will. Mayor Carollo: Yes. ' Chief Rollason: But another thing, 1 want to finish my train of thought with Commissioner Regalado. What happens now is that as the claims come in to us, we immediately notify... in particular with the trips and falls, Wally's department gets notified, and he's putting crews out to take care of that specific site or whatever that particular problem is. So we are not repeat. Chief Rollason: ... of offenders of incidents at that same location. Vdhat we need to pursue is an overall program in the City where we start going on a sector by sector basis... Mayor Carollo: Sure, sure. Chief Rollason:... and eliminate the problem before the incidents are happening. Mayor Carollo: But... You are absolutely correct, Chief. Chief Rollason: And like everybody has been in agreement. Wally is in agreement as we are from Risk Management. Certainly, Quinn's operation from the City Attorney's office. We have to start shutting the door before the horse leaves. Mayor Carollo: Sure. Wally, who do we have right now that is doing the limited repairs to sidewalks? Do we have anyone? Mr. Lee: We have one small crew, Commissioner. And what we have been able to do in the last two years, I have identified some monies and we have been able to subcontract out crews all over dhe City. Mayor Carollo: OK. What company is that, is doing this work? 46 September 9, 1996 Air. Let: It's various. We have probably... and I'll give you a list of the work that %. avc done in this report you are requesting. We probably have probably ten, 12 different CL.Itr, s based on the... Mayor Cgrollo: Which is the one that we are having now, do you know? Mr. Lam: Jim, do you? We have one left, or... Unidentified Speaker: Sir. Mr. Ite: F & L Construction, I believe. They still have un open contract. Mayor Carollo: Very good. Commissioners, I am going to have to step out for just a few minutes and I am *oing to pas4 the Chair around to Commissioner Plummer to carry out the meeting. I will be right back. NOTE FOR THE RECORD: Mayor Carollo exits the Commission am rs a a.m. Commissioner Plummer: OK. I have one further question. Is Street Lighting still under you? Mr. Lee: Yes, sit. Commissioner Plummer: CK. I got a major problem with street lighting. I've had it every year, and 1 never seem to get any satisfaction. And that is, the trees that have completely hidden street lights that you can't even find them. Street lights that go for months and are never on. Some to the contrary, which burn... on hours per day... and we are paying for energy. I think it is... And yet, when I inquire, that's what, about a five million dollars ($5,000,0001)? Mr. Lee: hour million ($4,000,000), three point nine to four Commissioner. Commissioner Plummer: OK. That FOP&L (Florida Power and Light) does not have a single person dedicated to that account. Now, I have asked once before and they said, "well, the tree cutting is not their responsibility. 1 have got one street light by my house that I could defy you Lt. find at might. I mean, it's lit, and if you walk up underneath it, you could see it lit. But you can't find it, otherwise;' because it is totally hidden in the trees. I will say this for Florida Power and Light. When we call from our offices about a complaint, they do address it immediately, OK. But the problem is, we are paying what, eight dollars ($S) a light, ten dollars ($10) a light, regardless of whether it is on or off? Mr. Lee: Yes. Mayor Cello: Ten dollars ($10) a light, whether it is hidden in the trees or not hidden in the trees. And I think it is a great waste of money, but more so, we did that lighting for the safety of the people, and I don't think we are getting our money's worth, and I don't think we are providing the safety that it was provided to do. I would like you to do any comments you want, or say follow-up that you want. Mr. Lee: CK, Commissioner. Again, you know we depend a lot on the public;, because we, have limited resources in that we have a set of people going out at night and looking at all the streets. 47 September 9, 1996 But certainly, if a neighbor... and I have even received calls thyself, we take care of those as quickly as we can, you know, within a few days, We schedule them, we have those tree limbs removed. We do try to work closely with Florida rower and Light, going out at nights with there, doing surveys of certain neighborhoods, and that's what we are attempting to d Commissioner. Commissioner Plummer: Well, you know l notice they have a company called Psplunder. Mr. Lee: Yes, Sir. Well that's to... Commissioner Plummer: OK. They go out and that company actually cuts the trees; buys their lines; and buys their poles. Why isn't that company hired by them to cut out and make the street lights risible? Mr. L,ee: I don't have an answer to that qumtion right now. Again, that firm, what it does is trying to protect the high voltage wires on the streets. Arid you will see them go down on Douglas every once in a while between where those limbs are., so they won't affect the... Commissioner Plummer: Well, I think we treed to have a little prayer meeting with Fl3c&L., and I think we need to sit down and try and get these lights "up to snuff,"if that's the word you waat to use. Mr. Lee: Yes, sir. i Commissioner Plummer: Any... Commissioner Regalado: Commissioner. Commissioner Plummer: Fine. Go ahead. Commissioner R,egalado: Now that we are talking; about lights, do you have anything to do with lights in the parks of the City of Miami too? Mr. Lee: Yes, sir. Commissioner Regalado: OK. There is a park right next to here, Kennedy Park. I walk with my son most every day there. And the reason I bring this up is because we are coming to October very soon and. daylight saving time will be implemented. Last year and the year before, about five -thirty or six o'clock it was dark. And the lights were not on in the park. I called the Uty as a citimn, and then as a journalist, and they told us it was because the system was set to be working in the regular hours. But the problem is that people... they were really upset and some people were injured when they fell in the park because of the darkness of the park. I was wondering why didn't we do anything last year? I hope that this year we can set the timer, bwiuse, probably, it's something only about timing. Because last year, it was not fixed for weelm and weeks. I mean, it was never fired and we iust went back to the regular time, eastern standard time, and the park lights were lit at the same time. So... Mr. Lee: I was Vot aware of that Commissioner. But let me check into it and I will send you a... Commissioner Regalado: I really appreciate it, because it's not only for me, but I know there are hundreds of people... Mr.. Lee: Yes, 48 September 9, I9 %* Ai. s Commissioner Replado: ... that do use that park after work and then, since it's goln . , be nightfall around five -thirty in November, in October and in November, a lot of pet a would really be happy to see the park lit. Mr. Lee: Yes, sir. Commissioner Regalado. Thank you. i Commissioner Plummer: Commissioner Dawkins do you have anything else on Public Works? C ommimioner Dawkins: No. No, sir. Commissioner Plummer: Next item. 'Thank you Wally. 8. M_. BUDGET HEARING --PARK AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT -------------- ----......_._..---.......__._...._.o.................. ---------------------------------- ----- -- Mr. Smith: Parks Department? Commissioner Plummer: Parks Department, what page? Mr. Alberto Ruder (Director of Parks Department) Ninety. i Commissioner Plummer: Page 90. Mr. Ruder. Mr. Ruder: OK Alberto Ruder, Director of the Parks Department. As you can see, our request ks four million nine htwdred and twenty-four thousand and eighty-two dollars ($4,924,082), i whict represents alx)ut-excuse me -about 65 full-time piisitions, and that is basically for the Recreation programs, the. Day Care, the Disabilities program and the Director's office. Included its ftt is. our. part-time Recreation people. The 65 is actually the full-time people. If you have i] any questions, I'll, be... i Commissioner Plummer: Commissioner Regalado? f. ` Commissioner Regalado: Yes. We keep getting... I keep getting complaints from people abut Doughus Park. They say they have a difficult time, especially in the playground. I was wondering if you could tell us if something is going to be done, especially in the playground. I think a part is broken, &nd some children have been not injured, but they have suffered somnr, kind of wound. Mr. Ruder: Yeah, well Douglas is one of our most popular parks and that... I haven't personally heard of any. I know they are fixing the park in general, the courts and the building. I thinly what the playground, I mean what the playground needs is a coating around the playground, and that's something that we are going to be doing real soon. And as far as the maintenance and the break, the playground breaking down, we try to check that very often, but as a .result of your request, we'll check it again. Commissioner Regalado: Thank you. NOIR FOR THE RECORD, Commissioner Dawkins exits the mrraiksion Chamber at 11:22 a.m. September 9, s 9Y6 I& Commissioner Plummer: I got to ask something here that is close to my heart. I spok. to the Manager. I spoke about it before, the cemetery operation. I get calls... Well, you laugi►, Di 1 am sorry, but I g�.Tess I get the calls because of my business. But people call my office ao.! art absolutely appalled at the condition of that cemetery. The last time that Commissioner D-,,,kins and i went to that cemetery, we went for an event of the Centennial. They didn't even has, running water at that place. The trees were upside down. The... it is— I can't put it any other way, that it's disgraceful. Now, the Manager promised me that he would address the problem, but from the numbers that I am looking at on page 92, I don't see much addressing. And I want to tell you something, that you... that you've got pioneers of this community in that cemetery. That is absolutely far from the way we should be honoring those people... Mr. Smith: Commissioner... Commissioner Plummer:... and maintaining that cemetery. Mr. Smith:... the maintenance of the cemetery is the responsibility of Public Works. Commissioner Plummer: Well, call him back then. Mr. Smith: Mr. Lee. Mr. 'Wally Lee. (Assistant City Manager): Mr. Smith, that duty and responsibility was transferred approximately a month or two ago... Commissioner Plummer: There's the. problem. Mr. Lee:... so I'll be glad to address the problems, you know. Commissioner Plummer: There's the problem. Now, he thinks that he's responsible, and he thinks it over here, and nothin - gets done. Mr. Ruder: I can just... DIG When you and Commissioner Dawkins were out there, there was a problem with running water and what happened at that time is that they were digging the streets and they messed up the water line. 'That's been fixed way back. The cemetery... There is about two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) which we are about to contract out that is for certain repairs to tombstones, removal of trees, to the building, that should make a big difference and within the next 30 or 60 days we are contracting it out. Commissioner Plummer: Would you please send my office a copy of that, of what you are proposing, so when people call me I'll be able to tell them what the City is anticipating doing? Because as of right now, I have no idea what you are doing. And believe me, during this celebration this year of the pioneers of this community it was brought out many, many times. Mayor Carollo: Any further questions? Thank you. Next item. 50 Septemtxr 9, 1996 bo .•.............................mo.................................................................................. 9 NEIGHBORHOOD ENHANCEMENT TEAMS (NET) DEPARTMENT -- COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (CD) HOUSING Mr. Carlos Smith (Assistant City Manager): NET (Neighborhood Enhancement Teams). Commissioner Plummer: What? Mr. Smith: NET. Commissioner Plummer: What page? The NET operation, what page? Mr. Parekh: One Seventy-four. Commissioner Plummer: One Seventy-four. Mr. Smith: One seventy-four. Commissioner, I would like to do the NET offices, Community Development, Housing and Jobs Program together. Commissioner Plummer: Wait a minute. Which one do you want to do first? Mr. Smith: Well, let's do the NET offices first, and then we'll jump to the others. DOTE FOR THE RECORD: Mayor Carollo eaters the omm ss!or at : b p.m. Commissioner Plummer: OIL. My understanding, from Mayor Caroller, is they are going to probably go until about noon today. And my problem will be trying to come back this afternoon. Monday, Joe, is my worst day. So I'll do what I can, and I'll be asking for a tape so I can see the rest of it. Mayor Carollo: Well, I certainly can appreciate that, and as I have said, this is not a mandatory meeting for the Commissioners to be here. Commissioner Plummer: Well, as I remember, when this thing was originally scheduled, it was Commissioner Dawkins who asked to have it in his office for a briefing and then somehow or another, it blew out. Mayor Carollo: Actually, I had requested this from the Manager before, and then Commissioner Dawkins also, I think, sent it in memo form. Commissioner Plummer: OK. I have one only question. Mr. Smith, are two public hearings, are they both on the same days as the Commission meeting at five-o-fig u? Mr. Smith: Yes. Commissioner Plummer: OK. So in other words, for the public that wish to speak, it would be either September the 12th, or September the 26th after five-o-five? 51 September 9, 1996 Mr. Smith: That's correct. Commissioner Plummer: Thank you, Sir. Mr. Elbert Waters (Director of Community Development NET): Good Morning, Mr. Mayor, members of the Commission. For the record, my nacre is Elbert Waters and 1 am Director of Community Development ABET). The NET portion, which is located on page 176, there we are re gusting approximately 71 positions in this year's budget which totals approximately three point eight million dollars ($3.5 million). That's the amotint that we requested through this budget, and I am just following up on the questions that the Commission has asked earlier oil. We requested three point mine million ($3.9 million), and our budget which has been approved by the Manager is approximately, three point eight million ($3.8 million), totalling 71 employees. The NET operation operates approximately 13 satellite offices within our respectl% cornatunity, eight of which are, located within our eight (Community Development) targeted areas. They encompass a number of things. We have our Code Enforcement officers that are out posted there, providing the services related to .Zoning, Solid Waste Inspection Services. In addition to that, we have what is called the NROs (Neighborhood Resource Officers,) which are sworn personnel. Basically, they are there to assist in our overall goal of community oriented policing. For the NET portion, I'll entertain any questions that you may have. Commissioner Plummer: I have no questions. I think.... You know, this was a program I brought to the City many years ago from Atlanta which was called Red Dog. And it expanded locally into Neon and then it went to *WET. And I think... Mayor Carollo: What was it called? Commissioner Plummer: In Atlanta, it was called Red Dog. Mayor tllo: That was the beer they used to drink? Commissioner Plummer: Yeah, it could be., could be. .Mad .Dog, I think that was the beer up there. But it came downhere, and then under the. prior Police Chief, we. bad, Operation Neon, and that light went out, and then we had Operation NET. Let me tell you something. This City has to be extremely proud, i am not saying that you can't do better, but let me tell you, Florida League cities all around the United States of America, NET Program of the City of Miami is a pilot program that is well, well thought of. And for that we need to be proud. But I think that there are areas that you could do more and with resources, if they become available, you could do more. But I think at this particular time... The only complaint that I have received, and let me give it to you for what it's worth, and that's in reference :o the NRO. That after five o'clock in the evening, there is a telephone answering machine in some of the NET offices. And that, in fact, that tells them to call the police station for emergencies, which they should do. But there is nothing available; after, I guess it's five in the afterroort for your NRO. And as we know, many of the people who do things of dumping and all of the rest of that, do it after five o'clock in the afternoon and on weekends. And so I think we need to establish some kind of a better rapport with the citiaznry as to how they can in fact... Now one, I was told that one NRO, his answering machine says call Ma beeper. Now, I don't know if that's working or it's still in effect, but I think the problem needs to be addressed where an NRO can be made available for a little bit more. I am not saying three o'clock in the morning or four o'clock in the morning, but I think more available than what they are now. That's the only thing 1 have. Mr. Smith: Commissioner, if I may. As you know, we started three pilot programs; Allapattah, Upper Fast Side, and Coconut move... 52 September 9, 1996 W Mr.. Waters: coconut Grote. Mr. Smith: ... where now the offices are opened, 1 believe from seven to eleven, Monday through Friday. There is aat PSA (Public Service Aide) there until eleven o'clock at night and on Saturday and Sundays from nine to five. Depending on how that program works out, we will go into the other eight offices, ten offices. I am sorry. Commissioner Replado: Can I? Can you tell us, tell Wane, what does the planner in NET Channel 9 does for NET. It's on page 174, of the packet. It's where you have; all these offices, the NET offices in different areas of the City and at the bottom of the page you have the NET Channel 9. It's a figure of forty-nine thousand six hundred doilat6 ($49,600) something like that. And apparently, it is to pay a planner. Mr. Smith: Commissioner. NET 9 is our City's TV channel and it's... Commissioner Regalado: No, I know. But this is why I am asking if this persons works only for the NET program on Channel 9? Mr. Waters: Commissioner. If we may be of.. that position is under NET, NET Channel 9. While we... it is shown under our organizational chart, actually it is beir%4 managed by the Fire Department and the Deputy Chief will address that question. NOTE FOR THE RECORD: Commissioner Dawkins enters the Commission em er aTW.31 p.m. Chief Tracy Jackson (Deputy Chief/Administration/Fire): Commissioners, Chief Tracy Jackson. Commissioner, if I could ask you to repeat your question, I'll do my best to answer it. Commissioner Regalado: Yes, what is the role of this person? What does he do for the NET offices within Q annel 97 Chief Jackson: I will attempt to answer that. The people that run the Channel 9 program, of which this is one, are responsible for City information, the City information channel. A% far as his specific functioning for the department of NET, that would be in the aspect of their request to have information put out about the different services they may be offering at a particular time ,in a particular neighborhood. And I am certain that the director can continue to respond to that. But it's shown under them. However, they are functionally... they are functioning under the dhvcuon of someone in Fire. Commissioner Regalado; Let me ask you. Grief. Do we have the possibility and the resources to tape some NET meetings in the different areas? I know that the Fire Department has that department. Do we have that capability without paying overtime or without hiring somebody? Chief Jackson: Commissioner, I honestly could not amwer that at this time. I know that the staff at the Channel 9 unit is very small. And I know that they are very responsive to the requests of the Commission. So I am certain that if there was a need that needed to be met, an adjusttrment could be ;:Wade in the schedule. But I do know that it is a small staff and that they are very tightly packed, as far as their schedules. Commissioner Plummer: let me, if I may address or try to help you answer that question. During the celebration of the Centennial, we used NET a great deal, and we had, a lot of times, 53 September 9, 1996 problems of t ing to get to ings of progcans that we were trying to put on the NET. Yet, they did once West7t I am usF, NET riglet now, for example, with International Trade. 'We are putting together half hour programs for Intemat:ional 'f`mde to tell what t!:e City of Miami dlvs with Intet7rational Trade, and we are using it fr>r that. And we are having to go on a schedule. And sometimes, its a month out before we can get actual studio time to make the tape. And so it. is an informational channel. It has been used extensively for a whole number of things, but it's basically an informational channel. I assume you are aware, and I am not trying to educate you, but NET is for the City Commission meetings, for Civil Service Board if they are still doing that... Chief Jackson: Yes. Commissioner Plummer:... the Code Enforcement Board. Chief Jackson: Zoning Board. Commissioner Plummer: Yes, Zoning Board. Chief Jackson: Nuisance abatement. Mr. Smith: Nuisance abatement. Commissioner Plummer: 'Yes, and all of those boards are actually carried live. Commissioner Iiegalado: Yes. But, J.L, what I was saying is that if we have the possibility... Now, you have told me about the problem that we have in terms of personnel. But if we have the possibility of taping regular meetings of the community within the NET office, and then playing that tape on the City of Miami TV Station. The reason I saying that is because we don't treed a professional crew from Hollywood to film and edit a meeting. We just need a video camera with sound, and just play, so the people of Miami would know what the other people of Miami are saying in terms of needs and worries. Chief Jackson: Yes, CSmirnissioner. Presently, we do not have that capability, but we are in negotiatidms with the University of Miami Communications Center. We are working with them, and this goes to another issue. But originally, we started out working with theca to help us with training Ifor our Fire Rescue personnel. That is, those individuals who basically take the calls, we needed to have some sort of training apparatus in place. So with our Neighborhood Jobs Program, the University of Miami's Communications Program and our NET 9, we are trying to integrate those capabilities to see 'if we can assist on that end. And based on that, we are talking about the passibility of trying to see if we can, you know, tape some of those meetings within our respective communities.. Mayor Carollo: Well what... Chief Jackson: So that is something we are working, on but it hasn't been finalized at this moment. Mayor Qrollo: I think. Commissioner Regalado is makings a very good point. .And the bottom line is that we have a prince cable television channel for the City of Miami that is fully underused. We need to provide the adequate funding, take the adequate steps to make this into a full-time true working channel for the benefit of the residents of Miami where we. can inform theta of a lot more than ,just some of our meetings, Zoning, Code Enforcement meetings. You lmow, really bring City ,government, in all aspects of it, into the living rooms of our residents. Let them imow, for instance, that we have beaches that are City -owned in Virginia Key, and if 54 September 9, 1996 maybe they would know that we have beaches, we would get sufficient people going there. Let them know all the things we have in the City. We need to start promoting to many of the tourists that come to Miami, and we'll put on the cable television. We need to promote downtown Coconut Grove, Downtown Miami, Bayside our waterfronts. We need to snake this into a true working channel, and that's one of the goals that we have, and I am glad that Commissioner Regalado trade this point. Commissioner Regalado: I think Mayor... i am sorry. How much time do we have on Channel 9 that is not used with videos? And when I said "videos", I mean programs, tapes. Because every time I turn Channel 9, what I see, its computer information with music background. And I was wondering why we repeat over and over these kind of meetings. But, you know, I .am in the field of communications, and I can tell you that with a Home video camera, you can film. Maybe it's not best quality, maybe it's not best sound, but still you can film a meeting where people will see themselves expressing their thoughts and their ideas for the City of Miami, whether that be In English, Spanish or Creole. Because after all, that is what the City is all about. And I was wondering if you could give me a deport of how many free time... When I say "fine time". what I mean is, the time that these computers with this little music is on during the 24 hours a day of Channel 9. Chief Jackson: Yes, sir. Commissioner Regalado: Thank you. Commissioner Plummr: Bert, whatever happened to the fact that we were working with Channel 2 and Miami -Dade Community College to help us do some of the taping? Did that wash out? Mr. Waters: I believe that we've not gotten together with them.. The 'University of Miami School is the one that we have been working with. I don't know if you... Fire Chief Carle Gimenez: Yes, we are looking at ways now to get with the University of Minna., and we have made some mmacct:s with them, and have some of their students some and start using our equipment more, and putting live programming instead of just this bulletin board. We agree that we need to do a lot more on 9. Commissioner glummer: Yeah, well, we used to go up to the North Dade Miami Community College. They have a television studio and everything up, there. And we used to go up there and tape programs up there that they would use on 9. And I wonder why that's not being used any more? Chief Gimenez- I don't know that reason, but I know that we have. I know I have. Commissioner Plummer: Well, its a governmental agency, and I think it will be a hell of a lot cheaper to do it that way than to try do it out with some private company, is what I am, I guess, I am getting at. Chief Gimenez: You are right. And i have made some personal contacts with FIU (Florida International University), trying to get their people to start working with our NET 9 but they were already committed to some other channel. But the University of Miami is interested in working on NET 9. Mr. Smith: Commissioner, we can also have our cable company for the City to provide the resources necessary so we can do that. 55 September 9, 1996 V Commissioner Plummer: Any other questions tin NET? ne next question is Housing. Art I correct, or did you have something more you want to say on NET? Mr. Waters: No. Oh, I am sorry. Commissioner Plummer: OK. Mr. Smith, l don't know that I can come back this afternoon, and I have missed one important question that I would like to have an answer from the Police Department. i am very touch concerned, and you can give me the answer in writing if you wish, of what they are doing in instigating in the programs of dispatchers. It is a major pro'blern, it has continued to be. I know last year at budget time, we talked about getting Bade Junior, who was going to put programs together, and I would like to be, and I am sure the others would like to be roughs uptodate, as to what and how they are addressing that problem. So I'll not revert back and bring all that crew Lack. OK. The next item is Housing. What page? Mr. Waters: Page 166, sir. Commissioner Plummer: One sixty-six. Mr. Waters: Housing is responsible for the preservation and expansion of the City's livable housing stock. We do that by a variety of efforts. We provide funds for private and not--for- profit developers. We also are a lending arm, and that is, we, provide low income individuals loans to rehabilitate, and in some instances, for new construction. The budgeted amount that's being requested this year is twenty million four seventy-one five twenty-four ($20,471,524). That encompasses approximately 20 positions under the Housing Division. Any questions thus far? Commissioner Plummer: Any questions on Housing? Commissioner Regalado, no questions on dousing, sir? Commissioner Regalado: Yes, I do. Commissioner Plummer: All right, sir. Commissioner Regalado: I understand that we are going to be playing a more important role in terms of housing in the City of. Miami because of the block grant that we will be getting for the Housing Department. I was wondering if you have any information about that. Mr. Waters: Well yes, sir. Historically, the City of Miami... We have been involved in the Federal Community Development Block Grant Program for the past 22 years of which those, we received our Federal funds through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, In that regard, it provides Federal dollars for a variety of items. We have the Community Development Block Grant Program thirteen point two million ($13.2 million). We have, within that, we have housing that comes out of that, approximately four million ($4,000,t'r(3ti). We have another special grant which is called the Emergency Shelter Grant. 'These dollars, again federally funded, are available to those individuals who may be homeless. So we provide homeless assistance from that standpoint. In addition to that, vie also receive approximately eight million dollars ($8,000,000) for what are defined as the Housing Opportunities for persons with AIDS. We provide these funds for these individuals on a Counter -wide basis. The City of Miami is the recipient of those funds, and we administer those dollars on behalf of the entire Metropolitans Dade County area. And we provide those dollars for rental and permanent housing for those individuals who have been infected by the HIV, AIDS disease. In addition to that, we also... I am giving you the overall. In addition to that, we have our Neighborhood Jobs Division, of which we receive approximately two point three million dollars ($2.3 million) from the U. S. Department of Labor, and also the State. So all funds, as it relates to our particular department, 56 September 9, 1996 0 included for Housing, included for economic development and also for the social services component totals approximately twenty-nine million dollars ($29,000,000). Commissioner Regalado: Thank you. Commissioner Plummer: I have no further questions. The next item. h!-Q.N--Y---........nw-.fir'. .--b e--.....---wbl.... New-. r.-w-r-Y-.....---. v-..................................... a 10. BUDGET HEARING - BUILDING AND ZONING Mr. Carlos Smith (Assistant City Manager): Thank you. You want to do Building and 7XnIng, you have some questions? Mayor Qrollo; No, no. I don't have any questions of Mr. Waters. Mr. Elbert Waters: OK. Mr. Smith: Building and Toning. Mayor Carollo: If we i,.ould get the Building and Toning now, please. We are going to break at noon, and then come back at two p.m., for those of us that can come. I will come back and be here. Mr. Smith: I am going to do Building and Toning, the budget. Commissioner Plummer: What page, what page? Mr. Smith: One thirty. Commissioner Plummer: One -three -zero. Commissioner Regalado: Mr. Mayor, before we get into Building and Toning, can I ask Mr. Smith about some information that we got in the office? We. don't even have personnel yet in the office, but we keep getting calls. And several of them were about the sale of sand in Virginia Key. Do you know anyxbing? Does the City Manager's Office know about this? Commissioner Plummier: We sold it to the County. :fir. Smith: 'That's Asset Management. If you... C bmwLssioner Plummer: We sold it to the County. Commissioner Regalado: OK, Could you give us a report so we don't have to... Mr. Eduardo Rodriguez (Director, Asset Management): Yes. Actually, the material that you see in Virginia Key right now, they nail it the "Spoil Mounta�.n" at the end, the north portion of the island. It was extracted from the bottom of the channel, ship i:hannel, years ago, and was dep> sited on that portion. I was dredging the... and it's limestone. It's a mixture of sand with limestr►ne pirwes. The City hu two contmcts at this point with two vendors, for a hundred thousand ($100,000), each one. And that what... for the last six months, we are selling that mawiai. 57 Septembtr 9, ] 996 M Mayor CWrollo: When you say "contracts", we have sold then all that for a hundred thousand ($10 l,000) each? Mr. Rodriguez: No, we sold them for one dollar $1 a yard. Mayor C,amllo: One dollar a yard. What's the... Mr. Rodriguez- A yard. They have to get. It from there and transport that to whatever. Mayor Carollo: OK. Was there a bid procedure that was following that? Mr. Rodriguez: It's actually a resolution from the City Commission authorizing Administration W do that, Commissioner Dawkins: One dollar $1 a cubic yard, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Rodriguez: 'Yes. Mayor Carollo. might, but my question is, at the time, was there bids that were taken in order to sell that? Mr. Rodriguez: 'These items was not bids. It was a Commission resolution authorizing... years ago, that happened years ago. And before that, the City sold, maybe three or four years ago, some amount, big amount, to North Miami, Mayor Carollo: OK:. So you are: saying this is something that happened several years ago in a Commission resolution, that the administiration... Mr. Rodr?guez: The resolution, yes. Probably four or five years... Mayor Carollo:... that the Administration can go do it and so on, is what you are. saying's Mr. Rodriguez: Correct. At this time, we have a consultant looking to see how much sand we can sell out of that... And we are planning to bring it up. It is so much competition now for that material, you know, after it was discovered recently. Before, nobody cares about the material, it was there for years. Commissioner Regalado: Excuse me. Can anybody go there and buy sand? Mr. Rodriguez: No. Mayor Carollo: Well, can you do us a favor? Mr. Rodriguez, Sure, Mayer Carollo: Because this is getting more complicated in the answer you gave me than I expected. C.an you provide Commissioner Regalado with an answer... Mr. Rodriguez: Sure. Mayor Carollo- that will cover everything, and clearly, not in generalities? Mr. Rodriguez: Sure. 58 September 9, 1996 Commissioner Plummer: A great deal of that is sold to the County. Mayor Carollo: As to what happened, go back to the past years, give him a full breakdown and provide a copy to the rest of the Commission on that. Mr. Rodriguez: Sure, it will be done, Mayor Carollo: And also, include in there why there were no bids taken in that? Mr. Rodriguez: All right, I'll provide a copy of the resolution too, a Mayor Carollo:... and what comparisons you did to make wire that was an adequate price. in the market place. Mr. Rodriguez: Sure. Commissioner Plummer: A great deal of that, Mayor., was sold to the County when they were redoing the roads out there. Mr. Rodriguez: Right. Commissioner Plummer: And they came in and asked us to sell that to them at a prise of a dollar ($1) a yard, or cubic yard. And then we had... Mr. Rodriguez: North Miami, the landfill. Commissioner Plummer: North Miami, the City of North Amami. .And that's, I am assuming, one of the reasons there wasn't a bid when we were doing inter -governmental. Mayor Carollo: Yes. But is this... the people are doing this now. Is it a governmental agency? Mr. Rodriguez: No, they are two private, you know, vendors taking that sand. Mayor Carollo: Yes. Well this is what I'm saying. There is a difference between government and private vendors, Commissioner Plummer: Yes, I understand, I fully understand what you are saying. i i Mayor Carollo: Is that to your satisfaction, Commissioner? Commissioner Regalado: Yes, yes it is. Mayor Carollo: OYL Thank you. Mr. Smith: Building and Zoning. Mayor Carollo: All right go ahead Mr. Smith, Building and Zoning. You know, instead of you starting Building and Zoning, you are going to have about nine minutes which... 1 ? Mr. Smith: You want to do it in the afternoon? Mayor Carollo: Well, why don't we go ahead and leave it for the afternoon. Let's break now and let's just come back... 59 September 9, 1996 Commissioner Plummer: Well, Joe, since I am not going to be here I have one major question. Mayor Carollo: Go ahead, Commissioner. Commissioner Plummer: ... in Building and Zoning that I would like addressed when you come back, OK. Mayor Carollo: Well, go ahead and ask it of him now. Commissioner Plummer: I am just going to put my question on the record, and then I can get the 1 answer later. Mayor Carollo: Well, see if he can give you the answer now, since you are here. Commissioner Plummer: All right. Then I can tell you the answer is "no". All right. My long- standing concern in Building and Zoning is the fact that it is not self-sustaining. As you know, a while back, we changed a lot of the fees relating to applications for change of zoning, for variances. We have permit fees that don't :over the cost of providing that service. Mr. Smith: Commissioner. Commissioner Plummer: Yes. Mr. Smith: We are self-sustaining. Commissioner Plummer: You are now self-sustaining? Mr. Smith: Yes. Commissioner Plummer: 'Thank you for my answer that I have been waiting for, for ten years. Mayor Carollo: That's the first question. And the second question is, when will you be sharing the profit.? Mr. Smith: We already contributed over a million dollars ($1,000,OW) to the general fund. Mayor Carollo: That's excellent. Commissioner Plummer: Joe, let me tell you this. Mayor Carollo: That's what we need to do. Commissioner Plummer: 'There is a lot of things like that. For example, let me give you one that we went into with the Fire Department about .four years ago, five years ago. I founds out the City of Miami Beach was for charging for rescue. And many people on the Beach paid for it from either insurance, or Medicare, or Medicaid. What is this year, what do we anticipate? Four million dollars ($4,000,000) that we are picking up this year that we have just let go by the board in previous years. Now, I caught a lot of heat when we first instigated this. But today, I mean, its money that people are... out there. The monies are there to pay it, and those are the kinds of things that I think we really need to find. Mr. Smith: Mr. Mayor, the numbers for Building and Zoning are actually... we contributed this year about a million -three and next year we are going to contribute a million nine. 60 September 9, 1996 Mayor Carollo: Excellent. Commissioner Plummer: Yes, I tell you. Mayor Carollo: OK. We'll come back then at 2:00 p.m. Thank you all. THEREUPON THE CITY COMMISSION WENT INTO RECESS AT 11:53 a.m. AND RECONVENED AT 2:14 p.m., WITH THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS OF THE CITY COMMISSION FOUND TO BE ABSENT- T'14EY ARE: Vice Mayor Wiifredo Oart, Commissioner Miller J. Dawkins, Commissioner J. L. Plummer, Jr., Commissioner Tomas Regalado, Cesar Odio, City Manager and A. Quinn Jones,111, City Attorney. Mayor Carollo: Will each of the remaining departments that have not made their presentations make them? Commissioner Regalado has some meetings to attend to this afternoon, and, of course, Commissioner P'lumrnber was also tied up, as was Commissioner Dawkins. So I will be here. This is not a scheduled meeting. There are no votes that will be taken here. This is just an information meeting, so we will proceed with the next department. Mr. Smith: OK We'll go ahead and proceed with Building and Zoning. Mayor Carollo: Building and Zoning. What I basically would like to do is for each department to make their presentation and at the same time, let us know what their requested funding was, and what they finally got, .and to make an overall presentation of where the money is going to, how it is being spent, what additional dollars they might need for future projects, etc. Mr. Smith: OK The budget for Building and Zoning is six million five hundred and twenty-two thousand five hundred dollars ($6,522,500) or five hundred and twenty-two thousand five hundred. dollars ($522,500) higher than last year. Our contribution to the general fund this year is a million -nine versus a million- four last year. The increase is made up of a contribution from the Hearing Boards of two hundred and fifty-two thousand dollars ($252,000), and from Building and Zoning, the rest of Building and Zoning Divisions of two hundred and seventy-six thousand dollars ($276,000). We basically got the -bottom figure amount that we requested although there were some figures that were adjusted as we went through the budget presentation. The one item which is very important to us which is budgeted for, it's an Interactive Voice. Response System, which will allow the contractors k) call in and using a touchtone phone request the status of their permits; request the status of inspections; request that inspections be performed, and also they can get results of the plant reviews and inspections via fax. Hopefully, this system will be installed sometime in the middle of the fiscal year. Mayor Carollo: How many employees do you have now in Building and Zoning? Mr. Smith: We have now 63. Mayor Carollo: Sixty-three? Mr. Smith: No, excuse me, 64. Mayor Carollo: Sixty-nine. Mr. Smith: We are budgeted for 81. We are in the process of tilling in various inspector positions. 61 September 9, 1936 ="'N Mayor Carollo: As far as the actual new Administration building, where Building and Zoning will be working out of, do we have sufficient personnel that when people come that we can expedite their requests and their needs? Mr. Smith: On ; we are fully staged, we believe we will be. I do have some figures that I can give you as to what the impact 1 think has been of having everyone on the same floor to review the plans, and also, some procedures that we have been Implementing, In the month of May, the average time that It took us to pros plans was 20 days. That included Saturdays and Sundays and holidays. Rand the maximum time that a plan was there for review was 71 days. In the month of July which is the last month that we have figures for, the average time went down to 12 clays from 20. And the tnaximurn processing time went down to 41 days from 71. Our goal is to have an average of 10 days turn- around time and a maximum of 30 days. Mayor Carollo: Well... Mr. Smith: So it has substantially helped us in... Mayor Carollo: ... hopefully. we are getting there. Have you made any kind of projections into the next four to five years, In the sites, in the amount of constniction that we have planned in the books for the future and additional anticipated new construction of how much additional personnel we might need to keep up with the new construction that is anticipated in Miami, in the next four to five years? Mr. Smith: We believe that the number of people that we have and the way that we have structured the inspectors now, we have enough, but what we would probably need is some more technology. Litre ports for... electronic ports for the inspectors to be able to conduct their inspections and put their entries while in the field, rather than coming back an hour early to be able to put their input into the computer. 'hose kinds of things will be the ones that we would need. But other than that, personnel -wise, we are OK. Mayor Carollo: Any additional information that you would like to place in the record? Mr. Smith. No, not really. OK. Mayor f: arollo: Very good. I am ready to move forward for the next department, .............................................................. ................................. 11. BUDGET HEARING -- CONFERENCE AND CONVENTIONS ------------------------------------------------ ­­_-------------------------------------------------.----- Mr.. Smith. OK. Conferences and Conventions. Ms. Christina Abrams (Director, Public Facilities): Mayor Carollo, the Department of Conferences Conventions and Public Facilities is responsible for the management and operations of nine facilities. Our budget is twenty-three thousand five hundred and seventy-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety -five --twenty-three million--($23,579,995) excuse me. Indicating a sire percent increase over the last year. The increase is mostly for personnel cost and increase in debt service and other contractual services. Mayor Carollo: Christina, what was your budget, your original budget request that you have trade of the Administration versus what you got from them? 62 Septr niwr 9, 1996 Ms. Abrams: We did not include the cost for capital improvements that we would like to make to the Coconut Grove Convention Center and the Miami Convention Center. Mayor Carollo: Which is how much, approximately? Ms. Abrams: Well, we ck iginally had identified about six hundred thousand dollars ($600,000) a years over the next three years, with the understanding that for the Coconut Grove Convention :enter, we look at other sources to receive funds to complete those improvements. Mayor Carollo: night. How many employees do you have now, all together? Ms. Abrams: We. have 38 positions. Mayor Carollo: 'Thirty-eight employees? How many of those are assigned to trying to bring in conferences and conventions to Miami? Ms. Abrams: Two. Mayer Carollo- Two, which are? Ms. Abrams: Rosemary Canales and James Tevis. Mayor Carollo: OIL Are they assigned full-time to that or part-time? Ms. Abrams: I would nay about 75 percent of their time is allocated to that. The rest of the time is, once we have conventions here or events, that they worm in coordinating those events. Mayor Carollo: How many people do you really feel that you would feel comfortable with that we should have assigned to tha4 and strictly the major part of their work being in bringing conventions and conferences to Downtown Miami and Coconut Grove? Ms. Abrams; Well, when I do the report, I would like to add another position to oversee the two that we have there. But it's not only the, you know, the position. It's also in getting, you know, the funds to advertise and promote the facilities, and that is something that we are hoping to work with the Greater Miami Business Bureau and maybe, you know, using their funding. We are working with theta in getting that accomplished. Mayor Carollo: All right. Do you have any track record that you can go back to in the last six years, eight years, five years as to how many conventions, conferences have been coming to Miami in dollar amounts, in people that have come to those conventions? Ms. Abrams: No, sir. I don't believe we have the exact amount, but we can provide you with that response in writing by tomorrow. Would that be OK? Mayor Carollo: Well, it does not have to be tomorrow, but if you can get it for some time before the end of the weep,, I would appreciate it. Ms. Abrams: OK And what you are asking for is the number of conventions that we brought to Miami in the last six years and the revenue float it generated. Correct? Mayor Carollo: bight. Ms. Abmms: OV. 63 September 9, 3996 A 3 Mayor Camllo: In dollars and in people. Ms. Abrams: OIL. Mayor Carollo: Coconut Grove Convention Center. What does that make in a year now for us? Ms. Abrams: Well, our projected net is two hundred thousand ($200,000). Mayor Carollo: That's protected. But what did it actually make this past... the last fiscal year that we had the whole year? Ms. Abrams: Well, the '95-'96, we expect to make around ninety thousand ($90,000) to a hundred thousand ($100,000) net. Mayor Carolio: Ninety to a hundred thousand ($90,000 to 100,000). Ms. Abrams: Net. tMa7or Carollo: OK, that's net. Do you have any numbers --because the amount we are making on it is not a major amount now -- But, do you have any additional numbers as to how many dollars the conventions that we are having there are bringing in to our community? Mow much are they spending in food and hotels, in other activities the times they are here? Ms. Abrams: See, that's difficult to measure b: cause for the Olympic Games, I mean there are a lot of, you know, statements made about the amount of revenue that was brought to Miami as a result of the games, but the Bureau couldn't provide exact statistics as far as room usage and restaurant and hotels. So with more... the figure that they came up with was really, you know, based on no real fact. But as far as the revenue that the City gets, that would we be able to provide. Mayor Carollo: OIL Any additional statements, Christina, that you would like to make, and anything that your department has needs for? Ms. Abrams: Yeah, I would. I'd like to say that, you know, we are aggressively pursuing additional revenue sources for our facilities including major league soccer for the Orange Bowl, the Car Quest Bowl, and the three tennis concerts. For the Coconut Grove Convention Center, we have scheduled five conventions in the last week, which we were hoping to have the dollar amount because we wanted to, you know, impress you and the Manager that this is what we had already secured for next year but we don't have that available yet. At the James Earl might Center we exceeded our projected revenue by over three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) from what we originally budgeted. The parking garage exceeded the projected revenue by one hundred seventy-four thousand ($174,000). So there are areas that we hope will increase our revenue and that will be funds that we can use to improve our facilities so that we can continue to do that in the future. Mayor Carollo: Right. In the Orange Bowl, do you have any additional expenses that you have to make there? Ms. Abrams: Well, in the Orange Bowl, if you would ask me, I mean there is about four million dollars ($4,000,000) more we would like to put into it. Whether or not it's the best thing to do right now, will depend on... Mayor Carollo: I said, "that you must", not "that you like". 64 September 9, 1996 f'1 M.t Ills. Abrams: Mostly, we projected about two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) of c capital improvements that we need to make at the Orange Bowl. And that includes ? waterproofing the seats and mplace, repairing the handicap ramps. i Mayor Carollo: Have you been able to sit down and try to go over the proposed contract that was requested of us to make for the National Soccer League? Res. Abrams: Yes. In fact, on Thursday we negotiated with the gentleman who has stated that he is representing major League soccer and we have tentatively arrived to an agreement. And this agreement estimates can 16 games per year. We expect to make seven hundred thousand dollars ($700,000) net revenues to the Orange Bowl. Mayor Carollo: How touch? Ms. Abrams: Severn hundred thousand ($700,000) Mayor Carollo: And that's... Ms. Abrams: And that's year one, two and three, Years four and five would increase. Mayor Carollo: Was this the exact request that they made of us or did we truly negotiate that? Ms. Abrams: Well they... we truly negotiated. They have refused to pay a ticket surcharge, and we feel a ticket surcharge is important to maintain the stadium. And they agreed to pay that, even though they had said adamantly they wouldn't. They wanted to share the concessions. We, the City, receives 100 percent of concessions. In return, they receive 100 percent. of parking revenue, but when we estimate the cost of that, since we only charge five dollars (05) per parking space, and since they will have to pay the cost of parking, it would be an actual break even point for the City. Whereas for them, they may be able to do it where it's more profitable for theta. Mayor Carollo. Right. Ms. Abrams: So basically, you know, I'm comfortable with that deal. Mayor Carollo: ghat have we done as we had discussed before, and at the same time, extended the University of Miami's lease with us at the Orange Bowl? Ms. Abrams: Is your question, have we renegotiated with the University of Miami? Mayor Carollo: Well, have we at least let theta know that we want to renegotiate an extension of their lease? Ms. Abrams: Well, their lease expires in two years. Mayor Carollo: Right, that's why I am saying that. Ms. Abrams: And no, we have not, you know, indicated to them that we want to negotiate at this point. It wasn't imperative to do that, to proceed with the MLS (Major League Soccer) only if we were to make the concession of letting MLS share in the concession revenue. Mayor Carollo: OK If you could, Christina, for tomorrow sometime, if we could meet briefly, just to go over the final aspects of what you all negotiated with the National Soccer League, so is we could all be in tune with what we are going to offer theta. 65 September 9, 1996 Ms. Abrams: OK. One point to make though is that we are giving them a letter of intent. We am not signing a lease agreement until the Major League Soccer Commission meets... Mayor Carollo: Of course, that's obvious. Ms. Abrams:... and agrees. OK. OK. Mayor Carollo: All right. Thank you very much. i appreciate it. Excuse me for one minute. Mello. ....................................... ........................................................ .......... ...... 12. BUDGET HEARING -» COMMUNITY PLANNING AND REvrrALIZATION Mayor Carolio: I am sorry. Mr. Smith: Mr. Mayor, next we have Community Planning and Revitalization. Mayor Carolio: Sure. Hey, Jack. Mr. Jack Luft (Director, Community Planning and Revitalization): Good afternoon, Mayor C;arollo. The Department of Community Planning .and Revitalization is budgeted this year for a total budget of two million two hundred and seventy thousand dollars ($2,270,000). That's up 10 percent from last year's budget of just over two million dollars ($2,000,000). We have requested in this year's budget an additional hundred and ten thousand ($110,000) for a total of two million three hundred and eighty thousand dollars ($2,380,000). The 10 percent increase from last year is about 30 percent accounted for by contractual pay increases and anniversary i increases, and about 70 percent of that is a net three additional positions that we have hired over the past year. The difference between the requested budget amount and the amoimt that wai recommended ii about one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) or three positions; one clerical r and two development positions in our Development Department Division. Planning and Community Revitalization consists of four divisions. We have 31, staff people. Of that 31 approximately 22 of them are professional and technical, and the balance clerical and support staff. Those 22 professionals are divided more or less equally, about five people per division. We have our Zoning and Planning Boards Division, headed up by Lourdes Slazyk, which also handles Heritage Conservation and Environmental Preservation. We have the GIS, our Geographic Information System, which coordinates all of the arraying of property information and census data for the City for several departments, as well as the private sector, investors and developers who come to us; a division that we are greatly expanding now to keep the pace with our new computer capabilities and the growing demands for information about our City. The other two divisions are the Development Division which handles all our RFPs (Requests for Proposals), and solicitations for development of proposals. We have five positions there, two of which we are atwmpting to fill, .and the Community Planning Division, which handles all of our strategic planning for neighborhoods, and services all of -our 13 .NET (Neighborhood Enhancement Team) areas. 'Tice emphasis from a year ago, where the majority of the work in the { department was aimed at processing Zoning Administration type matters and responding to the State of Florida planning updates, we have now shifted that emphasis to one of strategic planning, one of special area planning and we will be concentrating in the coming year on j fwasing on economic development and revitalization opportunities that exist in the upper East side, in the Central City Design Center, Bobby Muduro and along the river. Do you want me, to a rower any questions? 66 September 9, 1996 Mayor Carollo: Jack, I'll ask you the same question that I am asking of every other department. What projections have you mane for the next four to five years as to the needs of your particular da;I amient? Mr. Lust: We are actually seeking modest increases in staff. What we are trying to do is target the capabilities of specific staff positions to the more sophisticated, technical needs that we have. We are looking for real estate specialists that can help us package development proposals and assist Chambers of Commerce and the small businessmen in coaling up with their revitalization strategies. We have brought in a designer to hells property owners and special merchants areas associations upgrade their propefties. And we are looking to upgrade our transportation specialists. The City of Miami in the past has been, in the past... shall I say, not as aggressive in seeking State and Federal transportation funds. The City of Miami Beach in the past five to ten years has actually obtained over ten tinges the amount of money M. r their community, in a po ulation only one-fourth of curs than the City has. We need to aggressively go after State dollars, as is part of our strategy can Watson Island for our aviation facilities. It will be a key part of our strategy for upgrading access to design centers, industrial areas which are willfully inadequate in terms of regional access, and improving traffic corridors that right now are blighting, major blighting influences on our neighborhoods. We need to enhance them, control them and manage traffic. So those are the technical areas of expertise. We are probably looking to add anodmr three or four people. Mayor (>roilo: Good. Talking about one of the statements that you just made of aggressively looking for State dollars. Whereas you mentioned Miami Beach as beating us ten to one of what they have been able to get from, the State. I would like you to do the following. If you could find out what State funding there might be... Mr. Luft: fifes, sir. Mayor Carollo:... for a place like City Mall, that's a National Register historic site, to remodel Miami City Hall. I don't think I need to tell you the bad condition that it's in. We have many pIacses here, that haven't been toiich4 I don't think, since this place was built many years ago. So if you could fired out from the State what m.i.ght be available and give us a reading on that. Mr. Luft: Bight, OK Mayor Carollo: And then we could take it on from there to see what our lobbyists could do to get additional dollars. Mr. Luft: I should mention that we have been successful. In writing, and of course, with a lot of assistance from other departments, and our lobbyists, and the efforts of the Commissioners in obtaining State grants. We have gotten over one million dollars ($1,000,000) just in this last fiscal year front the State of Florida in grants that we have prepared. And the revenue that will be produ(-N-.d from our RFP projects, of the three we have on the table now, will add an additional million dollars ($1,000,000). So we really paid for the department's budget in just those two areas of activity. 'The problem with historic preservation funds, or the difficulties that... they usually only allow you to go for one project at a time. They do not invite multiple applications, because you are competing with yourself. The past year we have focussed our efforts on Dinner Key, on the ... Coast Guard hangars to try to help out that property. We can shift emphasis in the Dinner Key area to City mall. It would be entirely logical. We have won a lot of support from the State's Historic Preservation Division on our Dinner Ivey projects, Sri that's something we can report back to you, on what the opportunities would be. 67 September 9, 1996 0 Mayor Carollo: You might want to talk, Jack, with Charlene Watkins, behind me, from my office. Because she took steps on that already, trying to find out the process that we have to follow. Mr. Luflt: Yes. Mayor Carollo: But that's something that I think we need to do quickly. Mr. Luck: Ok. I am sending staff to Tallahassee tomorrow for this funding round, the September funding round for the Preservation giants. We are seeking an additional five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for Dinner Key, and then there will be a November funding round that we can meet with her on and prepare some additional requests. Mayor Carollo: Right. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Mr. Luft: OJT. Mayor Carollo: Thank you. ................................................................................................................ 13. BUDGET HEARING .-HUMAN RESOURCES Mr. Carlos Smith (Assistant City Manager): Human Resources. Mayor Carollo: Go ahead. Ms. Angela Bellamy (Assistant City Manager): Good afternoon Mayor. The Department of Human Resources is comprised of four different sections which include Test Validation, Classification and pay, Medical and Suprirt Services and Employment Section and Records. Our budget request for PY '97 is one point six milliop, ($1.6 million). One point six two thousand five hundred fourteen dollars ($1,602,514) that represents 1 percent less than last year. Our requested amount was approximately fifty-three thousand dollars ($53,000) more than the amount contained in the budget. That represented one additional staff position in Classification and Pay, where we now have two professional staff employees and one clerical employee. And it also included approximately thirteen thousand dollars ($13,000) for operating fixed expenses. Those are such expenses as making of professional... when we go out and recruit for police officers and fire-fighters, display, having; a professional display. We have done a lot of very aggressive recruitment for police officers. We have gone to all of the graduations of high schools within the City of Miami. You note that we have done recruitment within the State of Florida, but in addition to that, there are a lot of job fares that we have attended. 'we've gone to churches, we have tried to exhaust our efforts. So we want to be as professional as possible when we represent ourselves in recruitment. Additionally, we were requesting additional computers and computer software; equipment so that we can become more efficient, because in our department, we deal a lot with paperwork and there are specific computer software. [Brief interruption] Mayor Carollo: I am sorry, but this had to do with City business. Go ahead. Ms. Bellamy: OK Yes, I was talking about the computer software, and the fact that we nerA to be more efficient, because we do deal with a lot of paperwork, There is some computer 68 September 9, 1996 M software, that would help us process applications more quickly for drug testing software because we are required for all employees who have... who are required to have C D1L licenses and who drive equipment of a certain weight, to give them random drug testing. So there are ways in which we can become more efficient, and that's our goal. If you have any other questions? Mayor Carollo: What are you foreseeing are going to be your needs, Angela, again, in the next four to five years? You've mentioned that you need to be computerized more than you are now. Ms. Bellamy: 11at's cotxect. 'That's the great need in trying to be more... to meet the needs of the various City departments especially for the petitions that are very difficult to recruit. We have tried to work directly with Miami -Dade Community College, with the School Board so that we can try to provide curriculum for students that are in school now to understand what our needs are, so that we can more readily have. applicants available to meet our needs, and therefore be able to bring employees who an' midy and prepared to do the Mobs that we need. 'We do have an item that is scheduled for the agenda on Thursday that deals with filet:, personnel files. We have very dilapidated files. We had requested and received approval out of the Capital Improvement budget approximately two years ago, but because the Dupont Plaza cannot sustain the weight of the files, we have been waiting and we are eagerly waiting to be able to have a system that representws a current filing; system for all of the employee files. Mayor Carollo: Well, the employee files, do you have them computerized already or not? Ms..Bellamv: No, no. They are... no. Mayor Carollo: You don'! have them computerized. Ms. Bellamy: And we have to manually go through all of those files. By State law, we are required to keep files 50 years. Mayor Carollo: Fifty years? Ms. Bellamy: 'yes. It used to be 75 and it's now 50. But we have to keep all of those ales, and we would litre to have a sophisticated filing system. One that, is not as archaic as the one we have now. Fifty years? Mayor Carollo: You really need to have them microfilmed. I am surprised, I didn't realize you bad them like that. When are you anticipating to make your move to the new Administration building? Ms. Bellamy: We have been advised that we are scheduled to move on October 18th. Mayor Carollo: October 1€3th. And our lease expires... Carlos when? The end of this year or... Mr. Smith: November 7.nd. Mayor Carollo: OK. Very good. Anything else Angela? Ms. Bellamy: No, sir. Mayor Carollo: 'Thank you very much, and your staff, for being here. Ms. Bellamy: 'Thank you, thank you. 69 September 9, 1996 W ...................w......►................................►.........c...................... ♦....►................... 14. BUDGET HEARING FINANCE►BI.IixGE"t'JtNFORMA" ION TECHNOLOGY ....M................. ................. ►....................... .................................................. Mr. Carlos Smith (Assistant City Manager): Finance. Mayor cartiilo: In fact, let me suggest the following. The Finance Department is one department that I'm going to be sisking a lot of questions; and not necessarily the kind of questions that I prefer to get into in public right now. I think it will be better for us to meet - when I say "us", You and some of your people with me, and some of the others not here from the Comrtoission and go over some of stay oanarns in some of the areas that I am sure you want to explain to ane before we bring your department up back. before the full Commission... Mr. Dipak Parekh (Deputy DirectorrFinance-Budget): Sure. Mayor Carollo:... to discuss it publicly. Mr. Parekh: OK Fine. Mayor Carollo: So I appreciate your time. Mr. Parekh: We'll make an appointment with you. Mayor Carollo: Yes. Maybe even tomorrow might be good but definitely by Wednesday. Mr. Parekh: Good. All right. Mayor Carollo: Thank you. ------------------..-----.-----_............--------------------._.-._...,.------_-------.----.__..___...-------- 1S. BUDGET HEARING -- ASSET MANAGEMENT Mr. Carlos Sraith(Assistant City Manager): Asset Management. Mayor Carollo: Asset Management, go ahead. Mr. Eduardo Rodriguez (Director, Asset Management): Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor. Mayor Carollo: Good afternoon. Mr. Rodriguez: The office of Asset Management is an office that was created three years and a half -more. . four years, at the most. It is an office of recent creation. The twain fainction of the offive is basically for aids to improve and maximize the revenue potential and community use of municipal property. Basically it is a real estate office at this point. Basically, the office has three divisions. As we see it now, we have a need of .at least a management section. We have the need of property management. We need to know the property that we own; complete the files; have the deeds restrictions of the property. That is incomplete at this point. We have about... 70 September 9, 1996 Mayor CAcollo: it's incomplete? Mr. Rodd uez: incomplete. At this point, we have on records only about 150 properties, and we have about 600 parcels. So we freed to go and complete all those files and have the proper infbrination in the file. And this is a long and tedious job, as you know. It is a type of work that requires a lot of... two or three directions of philosophies on this, do it outside by the title company or do it its -home slowly. So depending on the money that you have and the speed that you need it... Mayor Carollo: How long have we been doing this for? Mr. Rodriguez: We have beta doing that for about a year and a half, basically. Mayor Carollo: A year and a half. And we have only been able to accomplish? Mn. Rodriguez: One hundred and fifty, around. Mayor Carollo: Twenty-five percent of the properties that we have, in a year aid a half. Mr. Rodriguez: Right... the basic information. We need to have the surveys on the file. You know, it's a complete job, the one that we intend to do. Mayor Carollo: So at that rate, it's going to take us about four and a half more years... Mr. Rodriguez: ,About that, .It's going to take some years. Mayor Carollo:... before we are done with everything. Mr. Rodriguez: bight. Mayor Carollo: Well, we really, need to re -look at this whole way that we are going about this, to see if we could do that a lot quicker. Mr. Rodriguez: Right. And we are doing now as we need. As Jack Luft is developing the property, we go ahead and analyze the property, as the needs arise, basically. Mayor Carollo: One more question for you, in that same train of thought. Do you know how much in dollars the City of Miami owns, how many hundreds of millions of dollars in property the City of Miami owns? Mr. Rodriguez: We know that a rough number, based on the tax roll, you know, it's ,about six hundred million dollars ($600,000,000) on properties. Mayor Carollo: 7 hat we oNmn. Only $600,0M,0W. Mr. Rodriguez: Yes. But, you know, that number is because they are municipal property. They are rot really updated, you know. Mayor Carollo- Well, that number, I thick, is -way too low. Mr. Rodriguez: We believe that too, yes. 71 September 9, 1996 Mayor CArollo: I got to believe that it is at least double that. JtLgt in Virginia Key, Watson Island, all the property that we own here in C)conut Grove and the waterfront; the property that we own in the waterfront in Downtown Miami, Bayfront Park, Bayside the FEC; "prank... Mr. Rodriguez: Watson Island, yes... Mayor Carollo: Of course, at the very least it has got to be double that. So that's why we need to update this, because six hundred million is nowhere near realistical of what we own. Mr. Rodriquez: We believe that, sir. Mayor C arollo: And for bond ratings, even more so now than before, we nrvd to put a real number them. in what the City of Miami ovens. Our bond ratings could be. affected tremendously if we only show six hundred million ($600,000,OW) versus if we really own over a billion dollars, maybe even as much as ,a billion and a half dollars in property. Mr. Rodriguez: Right. You know, that number is based on the tax roll and they don't have a priority to update that number in reality, but we don't pay tares. Mayor C'arollo: Well, that's why I am saying they are probably going at numbers that are, you know, years and years, decades old, and they are not changing that, because they have no incentive, because they are not getting any money out of that. Mr. Rodriguez: OK the other section that we have is Miami Riverside Center, Miami... the new building. We are managing that building and that's the three sections that we have. We have a total of personnel, it's 13 people at this time. Mayor C arollo: "Thirteen people. How many you budgeted for? Mr. Rodriguez: We .have 15. Mayor C:arollo: Fifteen. So you are down two. Mr. Rodriguez. Two. One of the persons is a surveyor, basically. For the update of the files, we need a surveyor on, you know, in the office working actively on this. Arad we need an assistant, also, to manage the paperwork there. And we have enormous paperwork in that office. That will help these two sections, Property and I. me and the Miami Riverside, in all the purchasing and contract paper.-rik ii m we have. 'Those are the two positions that we have vacant at this point. You wari me to go into the numbers or... Mayor Caroljo: If you wouid briefly. Mr. Rq ir.antez: Yes, OK. Basically I am going to go, starting with Asset Management We have a requested budget of one million two hundred and fifty-nine seven hundred and six ($1,259,706) and was proposing in the budget, the nook, one million one hundred and sixty-two zero eighty-seven ($1,162,087). It was a reduction of ninety-seven thousand dollars ($97,600). Basically, we proposed an increased of repairs and maintenance of City properties, and that was basically the reduction at ihis time. In relation to the building, we request one million four hundred and thirty-two four severity -nine ($1,432,479) and the proposed budget is one million one hundred and forty-eight five hundred ($1,148,500) a reduction of two hundred and eighty- three nine seventy-nine (283,979,) based on capital, also. You know, we .request that money to paint the garage and seal properly that garage. We have... We believe that there is a need. And also, the improvement of the Plaza. You know, take that concrete and put some kind of permanent barricade there. When we owned that plaza at, you know... Sir, it is not City 72 September 9, 1996 LA CX31rty yet. So, but we are snaking provisions for th�rt.. 'That's .about the difference that wein numbers. Mayor Carollo: 'How about the parcel next door to the new Administration building? Mr. Rodriguez: The green area. Mayor Carollo: The green. 'Yeah, the green area. Have we been able to close on that yet, or riot? Mr. Rodriguez, Not yet. The last call that 1 have. was last week. They are proposing a plan to... As you know that land has contamination of Wo substances. One was PCV from the old tmnss9Co mere, that they had it warehoused there. That was cleaned up already. In the back entmace of the garage is a concentration of arnonia at this poiint. Mayor Carollo: Amonia? Mr. Rodriguez. Right. So DERM is not accepting that, they want to know what is the source of that contamination. 5a Florida Power and light went there, you knew... consultant. We'll present a plan next week to lDERM. We believe in one month we are going to have a resolution of the issue. Mayor C& rollo: But it is their responsibility, according to the contract... Mr. Rodriguez: Absolutely. Mayor C:arolio:... they are to pay fbr that and to clean it up. Mr. Rodriguez: Completely, yes. Mayer Carollo: OK. How much money are we still holding back on them before that's done? Mr. Rodriguez: One trillion one hundred and fifty thousand ($1,150,0W). Mayer Carollo: One million one hundred and fifty thousand? ($1,150,000). Mr. Rodriguez: And that money is in escrow. Mayor Carollo: OK, Well, we need to have that resolved, because the City needs that property to expand in the future. As it is, we can barely fit into the new building;. So we really need to haw, that cleaned up so at a later date in the future, we could build on that property there, also. Mr. Rodriguez: C)lt'.. Mayor Carollo: And connect both buildings together. Mx. Rodriguez: I will keep you posted of the progress on this. Mayor Carollo: Do you remember how many more stories we could go up in the parking garage structure? Mir. Rodriguez: I believe that we can go three more. Mayor Carollo: Three more? 713 September 9, 1996 rl 9 Mr. Rodriguez: Up to ten: We have it at six and a half now, basically three and a half. Mayor Carollo: OK Very good. All right. Well, thank you very much. ...... I..w.w.........+........w........................................................................ 16. BUDGET FEARING - INTERNALAUDITS AND REVIEW Mayor Carollo: Carlos. Mr. Carlos Smith (,Assistant City Manager): Internal Audits and Review. Mr. Sujan Chhabra: Mr. Mayor, as you know my name is Sujan Chhabra. Mayor Carollo: Yes, Mr. Chhabra. Mr. Chhabra: 'Thank you. The budget requested is one million twenty-six thousand four hundred and ninety-six dollars ($1,026,49+6). I,tst year's budget was eight hundred fifty-nine thousand, five hundred and eighty-one ($859,581). Increase is basically, we had requested, and it has been in the budget for a long time, the EDP auditor, which I happened to borrow from the Computer Department this year, and is working now in my office. And that. way, we will be able to audit property tax in the City and Dade County. So basically, that is the increase, and plus whatever annual increments the employees are going to get, that is increments, and there is no other increment in there. The basic function is that... one is Internal Audit and Office of Professional Compliance, two of them. In Internal Audit, we do several different kinds of audits. For example revenue audit, expenditure audits, license compliance audits, contractor compliance audits, fmachise fps and licenses audits, grant compliance audits, program and performance. Obviously, we could not do all of them. We try our hest under the limited resources. I scant to point out one thing, that we are a self -supported department for the last ten years. 'This vear also, we, are expecting to, by the end of September, about seven hundred thousand dollars (On-0,000) additional revenues. Mayor Carollo: How much? Mr. Chhabra. About seven hundred thousand ($700,00+0). Mayor Carollo: Seven hundred thousand ($700,000). Mr. C'ithabra: We have reached already four and, a half, about, and we are expecting some more incomplete audits on all of them. Second function is the Office of Professional Compliance. Wberm you are already much aware of that, more than me, that we investigate the police brutality of the City of Miami, uversighting by the... Any question you want? Mayor Carollo: How many people do you have now? Mr. Chhabra: Thirteen. Mayer Carollo: Do you have any vacancies? Mr. Chhabra: No, sir. 74 September 9, 1996 Mayor Carollo: Nome whatsoever? OIC Dom any of your functions, Mr. Chhabra, have to dry with doing audits of the Finance Department at all, or not? Mr. Chhabra: No, sir. Absolutely nothing. Mayor Carollo: Not at all. 'Where do we have the check and balances, then, inside the City of Mfimi with the Finance Department and Budget Department? Mr. Chhabra: We. are supposed to audit each and every department, their revenue operation, which is expenditures, also, whatever... But because of the personnel constraint, I am not doing entire deputtmental audits, but what I do, I go and gust to be present there, and go and take some function, one part of the department, and I have been doing it here and there. Basically, where. we go now, nowadays is that wherever we can generate additional avenues, that's what we are concentrating right now. Mayor Carollo: Ail right. Well, this is one area that I am going to be proposing in the near future to the Commission that we need to change. Mr. Chhabra: All right, sir. Mayor Carollo: '6r+/e need to establish checks and balances... Mr. Chhabra: All right, sir. Mayor C,arollo:... within our own goverment. Mr. C:hhabra: Yes, sir. Mayor Carollo: And at the same time checks and balances that will report directly to the Commission... Mr. Chhabra: OK, sir.. Mayor Carollo:... and not directly to the Manager. Mr. Chhabra: OK. Mayor Carollo: But this is one of the things that I want to speak to the Finance Department about, and the Deputy Finance Director, and we will get you involved in that process as we go along with it. Mr. Chhabra- All right, OK. Mayor Carollo: Thank you verb much for coming. Mr. Chhabm: Thank you, thank you sir. Mr. Smith: Do you want to take the Office of the City Clerk and the Law Department? Mayor Cello: The i.aw Department and the City Clerk's is... these are two out of the three positions that the Commission directly hires. In fact, the only three that. the Commission directly hues. I think it will be best to deal with both these positions when we have the rest of the Commission present,. In fact, the City Attorney is not able to be with us here this afternoon, so we wouldn't be able to do it, anyway. So let's wait maybe for'Thursday, we could do it then. 75 September 9, 1996 Mr. Smith: Any of the Boards? We have someone from the International 'Trade Board. Mayor Chrollo: The Boards, I don't think is necessary, because the hoards, each member of the Commission is Chairman of over board or another, and basically, they don't have any major budgets, so that's quite simple to handle. ......................................... -....................................................................... 17. BUDGET HEARING -- LABOR RELATIONS - •--...�►............. .....rw� ....................n------.......I.....................u...............u...........r�..r�. Mr. Carlos Smith (Assistant City Manager): Labor Relations? Mayor Chrollo: Labor Relations, I would like to hear from. Ms. Sue Weller (Labor Relations Officer): Afternoon, Mayor. Mayor Carollo: Good afternoon. Me. Weller: The recommended budget for Labor Relationss is five hundred and twenty-five thousand four hundred and eighty-one dollars ($525,481). The requested budget was five hundred and thirty-one thousand four hundred and eighty-one dollars ($531,481) or six thousand dollars ($6,000) more that was basically some operating expenses. Mayor Carollo: You came out better than anybody else in the City, Sup. Ms. Weller: Yes. The overall budget is above last... this current year's budget by a hundred and ten thousand dollam ($110,000), and that is basically due to three additional positions that were added to my office earlier this year; two administrative positions and one clefical position. As far as looking toward the future, the one thing I would like to look for, as far as over the next few years, is to add some monies for training for City employees. Right now, we do not budget training dollars for the City employees, and when we do that kind of training, we have to turn to the Finance Department to find the monies for that. Mayor Carollo: OK Whenever you have a chance, Sue, if you could send me a memo debing the type of training that you think that we should budget for the future and the amounts that you think might be necessary. Ms. Teller: Anything else, any other questions? Mayor Carollo: That's all, thank you. Me. Teller: OIK,. Thank you. 16 September 9, 1996 ..r...w..........►...........................r..rrr.r....►...►........r...........N►.........................� b 18. BuDGET HEARING -- RISK MANI AGEMEN"1'ORE-RFSCUP, w..NYriwrA►nrbM.yaON+..•.fwCMwfff�............b...N...h....................b.......w...............+..+7.►.............. Mr. Carlos Smith (Assistant City Manager): Risk Management? Mayor Cirollo: Risk Management. Mr. Frank Rollason (Deputy Chief/Risk Managetnent/Fi Mayor C�arollo: 17hirty-six million ($36,000,0M). re Deputy Chief Rollason: Now that splits ,just about in half between Risk Management and Group Bentfits, the health insurance. Now, just recently, the health insurance wa.s moved back. into Risk Mngement, last week. So I am in the process of getting a little bit of a handle can that again. But basically... Mayor Carollo: Are you always this lucky, Chief? Deputy Chief Rollason: Am I always what? Mayor Carcilo: Axe you always this lucky? Deputy Chief Rollason: Not always. Not always this lucky, but you know. Anyhow, Risk Management, itself, we've got the basic areas that we deal with, which are the Workers' Compensation, the Iiability issues, all the liability issues of the City, all the claims that come throu&N whether they be by lawsuit or by ,lust claim notification or establishing Risk Management. If they are lawsuits on whatever level Federal, State, private citizens, civil rights violations, etcetera. The claims are set-up within Risk Management. 'l he reserves are set between discussions with the City Attorney and our adjusters, and amounts are set, We are looking, at the present time now, of a liability of about seventy-six million dollars ($76,000,00%) since the last audit that we had with the lawyers. Mayor Carollo: Seventy-six million ($76,000,000)? Deputy Chief Rollason: Seventy-six million ($76,000,000). This takes into account the Workers' Compensation side, as well as the liability side. And then the other area that we deal with i s Risk Management are the insurance, insurances with the City. Whether we are self - insured on some issues or whether we buy a policy. Our largest policy that we purchased annually is our property insurance which has gone from .a quarter of a, million for total coverage before Andrew, to one point five million ($1..5 million) annually, and we have larger deductions. We face the same thing that everybody else faces. Mayor Carollo: What has happened, .' m talking about the insurance overage with the committee that the Commission assigned to? Deputy Chief Rollason: Funny that you should mention that. Where we are right now is, to be quite honest with you, we have met twice. If you will recall; we came back before the 77 September 9, 1996 Commission to get some direction as to what the committee could do. Thera the summer came, diffeNant w tmittee abet txys went on vacation. We were at the point of bringing the committee back together, when the representative for Mayor Clark informed me that he was going to resign and send a letter to you. Mayor Carolio: Who was that? I don't remember. i Deputy -Chief Rollason: That's Frank cXngoncs. Mayor Carollo: Fronk Angones? OIL. Deputy Chief Rollason: Right. And he felt awkward being in that position, Ding that he was a reps ntadve of the deceased Mayor. and with the change for You to Mayor, we are not snare that your representative is just as ;you want it. Plus now, we need to get a .representative for Commissioner Regalado. Now, the other day, I had a discussion, and I need to get back with the City Attorney as to whether or not we make any changes in that committee, or does the committee stay as it stood when it was appointed and go through the whole process with tlhose people? So basically a lot has not happened with that committee. We had a couple of meetings. rare was concern about what their authority really was, and now, we have had the changes in the Commission, and that's where we are. Mayor C arollo: Well, Arsenio Milian if I remember correctly was my appointment... i Deputy Chief Rollason: Yes. Mayor C:aroilo: ... to that committee. It's a legal question on whether we can appoint anyone else or not. Obviously, if we can appoint someone else, then I aria going to end up having two appointments, if I make one. And I don't think that would be fair, even if we could, to the new Commissioner Regalado. So what I would do is, give him my appointment as Mayor since I had one as Commissioner there. Deputy Chief Rollason: I understand. Mayor C.arollo: But that is going to have to be a legal call by the Law Department if we can expand it at this point in time. Deputy Chief Rollason: Right. My intent was to get what the Law Department's direction is and then send a communication to the City Manager and say, "We got to come back before the Commission." and what's next? Mayor Carollo: If we can make an additional appointment, then what I would suggest we do is that Mr. Milian who was my original appointment as Commissioner be switched to being my appointment as Mayor and then the vacancy would be for Commissioner Regalado to make an appointment there. Mr. Smith: And we'll advise you of that, Mr. Mayor, the resolution of that. Mayor C:atollo: Excuse me? Mr. Smith: We'll advise you of the resolution of that. Mayor C arollo: Great, that's fine. Deputy Chief Rollason: Now, as we press along, as we approach the end of the year, it will be time for the insurance broker to get out in the market to get our insurance again. So we are just 78 September 9, 1996 V. pressing along with business until we can finally come with a recommendation before you. So that we i ep the insurances in force. Mayor Carollo: That's important. Deputy Chief Rollason: Any questions? I mean, I can give you sorne breakdowns of... Right now, in Risk Management we've got 1.7 people that are in the Risk Management Division of the Fire Rescue Department. Mayor Carollo: How many openings do you presently have? Deputy Chief Rollason: Well, I have got I-TC II, that we are in the process... i think this Thursday they are going to have a Board to try to do some interviews on that one. But we have been reduced since '93. 1 had about or the department had about 33 positions. We. are down tci iS positions that are City positions now at the present time. Mayor Carollo: About half of what you had before. Deputy Chief Rollason: It's gotten tight. Mayor Carollo: Do you feel, Chief, that you can do an adequate job in the next years to come... Deputy Chief Rollason: Here's the... Mayor Carollo: ... with that type of personnel and all the additional new claims that you have from work? Deputy Chief Rollason: All right. ]Here's the situation that we are with that. We were directed to put together an RF!' when we talked about the privatization of Risk Management totally. We have put that package together. It came before the Commission and was approved in May of '95 to put out in the street. It was not put out. And the number of bodies we have is, at best, a holding pattern to try to keep things going. We didn't want to get into the position of hiring more employees or contract people and then end up privatizing part of the services that were being provided. It's tight, I think every... I think all the departments in the City are tight when it comes to bodies, and we've, you know, had to suck it up like everybody else. But it is tough to do everything with the number of people that you have. Mayor Carollo: Well, do the beat you can with what you have, Chief. But at the same time, do let us know what you feel into the future is the adequate staffing that we should have in that department, because that's a very key department for us. Deputy Chief Rollason: Well, I think that if we are really going to address something on the positive side, we have got to... the City has got to make a commitment on the prevention side with this safety program. And the issues that we spoke to earlier like with Wally Lee, with the problems with the infrastructure and sidewalks. All of these problems in the parks, whether it be with playground equipment or whatever. Eventually the problems end up in the City Attorney and in Risk Management, with us trying to resolve them. And if, you know, funds can be made available on the front end on some kind of Citywide program to start addressing these, I. think that over the long haul... and probably, you are talking what five or six years before we'd start to see an impact when you... with what we've got standing. We are sitting here with seventy-six million. ($76,000,000), and it has to be resolved, one way or another. So it's not going to go away overnight. But certainly, it will start to reduce the incoming, and I think if those trends can start to change:, I think that will make a difference when you start talking about bond ratings, because they are going to look at trends. They know we've got the seventy-six million 79 September 9, 199+6 ($76,000,000), but what are you doing about, you know, the prevention, to keep it from growing? Mayor Carollo: Could you, when you have a chance, either this week or for next week, send me a memorandum giving me your best opinions and suggestions of the things that the City needs to do? ,And I am not trying to put you on the spot, but I want to get your opinion as our main Bert in this field of what you feel that the City should do in, as you said, in preventing things before they happen. Deputy Chief Roliason: OIL. I will certainly put something together. Mayor Carollo: Great. Deputy Chief Rollason: 01C Mayor Carollo: 'Thank you very much Chief. Deputy Chief Rollason: Thank you. 1.9. BUDGET FEARING -- CIVIL. SERVICE. Mr. Carlos Smith (Assistant City Manager): Civil Servic? Mayor Chrollo: Civil Service. Ms. Priscilla Thompson (Executive Secretary/Civil Service Board): Grow afternoon. My name is Priscilla 'Thompson and I am currently serving as Executive Secretary of the Civil Service Board. Just to give you a quick overview of the Board, the City Charter actually provides for a Civil Service Board and five members on that Board. And those members are responsible for adopting, amending and enforcing the City of Miami's Civil Service rules and regulations. I don't know if you are familiar with them, but these rules and regulations provide for appointment and employment in the classified service for the City of Miami. As the Chief Executive officer of the Board, the Executive Secretary has responsibilities, as well. And my responsibilities are basically three main responsibilities, and they cover the area of actually providing administrative staff support to the Board members; also. preparing and maintaining all of the Board's official records, and then providing information an the Board's actions, their rules and regulations and policies to all City departments, all employees and any other interested parties. So basically, that's what we are there about, but we are mandated by the Charter. Now, car 1996-1997 request, submitted by us, was three thousand twenty- I am sorry-- Three hundred twenty-one thousands nine hundred and twenty-nine dollars ($321,929), of which as of this point in time, we. have been approved for three hundred twelve thousand eight hundred and fifty-two dollars MIZ852) and that represenLq nine thousand seventy-seven dollars ($9,077) difference there, or leas, you know, a difference of that amount from what we wanted. Basically, our budget increased because of personnel items, and our initial increase with those items requested represented the nine thousand seventy-seven dollars ($9,077), which was to cover additional training and travel for our Chief Examiner, as well as to rover the increased cast of subscriptions for board material and personnel related rules and regrulations, things of that sore. And lastly, as far as capital outlay, we did need to purchase .some new filing, our new filing system as we are moving over to the MRC; (Miami Riverside Center) Building, and something for our phones. Sep basically, that's what we were looking for and that's what it covered. 80 September 9, 1996 7-1 Mayor CArollo: Gould you send my office a memo also, specifying for us the filing systems that you need. The phone that you need and so on? Ms. Thompson: Sure, definitely. Mayor Carollo: OK. I appreciate it. Thank you. Mr. Smith: Mr. Mayor, I think we've gone through all the departments. if you would like to dhwusas some other issue in the budget... Mayor CArollo: I don't think it will be. nezenaty now. The Finance DepRitrnent and some of the overall issues of the budget, I think we will do that in-house. Mr. Smith: Finance includes Information Technology Procurement and ago... Mayor Carollo: I understand that. I undemmnd that, Mr. Smith: OK, OK. Mayor Carollo: Now, if you or any of your other Assistant City Managers have anything else that you would like to state on the record or crake any statements, I'll be happy to give you the opportunity to do it. Mr. Smith: No. Mayor Cprollo: OK. Well, thank you all very much for taking this time out for us. Mr. Smith: Thank you very much. Mayor Carollo: Sure. This meeting is adjourned. THERE BEING NO FUR"I`HER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE CITY COMMISSION, THE SPECIAL BUDGET MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 3:14 p.m. JOE CAROLLO MAYOR ATTEST: Walter J. Foeman Mz Y CLERK. Maria J. b rgudin ASaISTA 7 CITE' CLERK 81 September 9, 1996