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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 1979-09-11 MinutesCITY OF MIAMI COMMISSION MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON SEPTEMBER 11, 1979 BUDGET WORKSHOP PREPARED BY THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK CITY HALL Excerpt of Budget Hearing - September 11, 1979 Page 62 - Office of the City Clerk Mr. Ongie:, Of.the budget that I submitted for consideration, the administration cut it by a total of #31,247. Mayor Ferree 406 is the cut budget? Mr. Ongie: 406 is the cut budget,, it was 437,511. Nowincluded in that $31,247 cut is one Clerk II position which is one half of our "microfilm program, in other words Ihave two Clerk II positions that are assigned_ to that and we: are talking about approximately $11,000 to fund that position and about the only other thing that they cut that I would like to have is one typewriter which is the only other thing I asked for. Now, Father, the guy from the Parks Department kind of took the wind out of my sails this morning but I was going to make some reference to Affirmative Action because of my staff which presently consists of eight people seven of them are minorities. We have exceed well over 100% of our goals. Mrs. Gordon: That's terrific. Mr. Ongie: And the person who would be affected by this layoff should this be the case would be a person from the General Fund, and it goes back to something that Father said earlier in the meeting, and that is that we. have a considerable amount of money invested in the training of these people and I hate to see this program" at this point in time cut literally in half because we have proceeded with this microfilm program on a very economic basis to the point that it has attracted national attention. I am currently the International Chairman of the Microfilming Committee for the Municipal Institute of City Clerk's Association. They have been rather intrigued by the approach that we have taken in that we have done it in house as opposed to putting it out for private contract and we have done it for very little money. Now I am greatly concerned about the program being cut at this point in time because we still have a tremendous back log of records for the 83 years that nobody ever did anything about. Now maybe a couple of years down the road I could get by with one less person but until that tremendous, back log is caught up I would very much appreciate the Commission considering funding the position that has now been cut. Mr. Lacasa: Mr. Ongie, that is the $11,000? Mr. Ongie:. Yes, the typewriter. Mr. Fosmoen: Plus fringes, Mrs. Gordon. Mr. Ongie: Mrs. Gordon: Mr. Lacasa: it i $11,000 for. the Clerk, II position and it is of course. How much is it all together?. $12,000. Okay. And the other $ 0,000.that were cut? 1,000 for Mr. Ongie: Those were in areas of operating expenses that 1 am going to tr very hard to live with as all of the departments, are. Mr. Lacasa: Those you can live. with? Mr. Ongie: I guess. Mr. Lacasa:, But .the .11,000;Plus whatever` fringe benefits andwhatever materials which you feel are essential to keep your department at the same level? Mr. Ongie: Mr. Lacasa; Yes. Mrs. Gordon: looks like an increase. Well, I. for one would not like to see this department jeopardized.` I came :in late, explain to me, according to what I see here it. Mr. Plummer; Yes, but Rose, the figure here Mr. Ongie has said is $37,000 less than what he requested. Mr. Fosmoen Or.$14,000 over the limit the other departments... that was set and the limit that all Mr, Plummer: We understand, Mr. Fosmoen. Mr. Fosmoen: Mrs, Gordon: I thought I would point that out for you, Commissioner. Mr. Lacasa expressed' my views on, this subject. Mr. Plummer: Okay, let me ask you'because'I have' been. absent, have you been adjusting as you go along or are we going to wait -and adjust all at the same time? Mr. Lacasa: We haven't had any adjustments. Mrs. Gordon: Mr. LacaSa: I would °;like Mr. Plummer: cerned there This is the first one. This is the first one to move it. and."this-is the appropriate moment, Why don't we go all the way through it? As far as I, am con - are a lot of adjustmefltS that have to conie in this budget. Mr. Fosmoen: commissioner, I'm ,trying to clarify,in my own mind, but I am questioning since this isa workshop session -whether or notthe Commis- sion should take any official. action... Mr. Plummer: Right, well. that is. what I have asked, that we wait until afterwards. :.Sure. This is.basically more. for presentatiOflS than anything. Any other questions of the Clerk? All right, let's move on to the next item Rev. Gibson: Isn't it true that, everybody in every agency is going to this method? And I would think that it ought to be absolutely necessary that we bring our records up, to date and you know like everybody else. Mr. Ongie: It is Father, and this is why I feel so strongly about it. We have a. model ";-program going, as;.I said I'm on a national committee with this thing, and we are doing very well at a very.; modest cost compated to what we ,. would have to spend if: we had had an outside outfit do it. The advantage to this system aside from the monetary savings is that the records have never left my"jurisdiction, `I have not had to surrender these records to anybody, we are ;doing them right there. Mrs. Gordon: Mr. Ongie: porated. If ;I asked for records how many years back could you bring up? 83 is what we're working on, from 1896 when the City was Mrs. Gordon: Really? Where have they been all these years? incor- Mr. Ongie: Well, they are :mostly in, my office, some of them are. in the basement, some.of them are in the back room until it worried meto',death_ because this building' could be wiped out and that would meam that -the 'official records of the City are gone. Mrs. Gordon: almost had... Mr. Ongie: The system that we have working that you gave me the funds for two years ago has a very sophisticated retrieval system which uses the eight digit binary code like the little lines on grocery cans and we are microfilming these records, one copy of the microfilm goes to Tallahassee for storage in the Archives Division, the other one is here. Of course, beyond the safety of the records the goal is to reduce filing space and as these original records are microfilmed and sent up there for safe storage storage and we have them here the original records are being shipped to the Archives Division in Tallahassee for permanent storage. If there was a flood, God forbid, like the big storm that we Mrs. Gordon: Ralph, you started at the beginning and you're working forward? Mr . Ongi e: Yes. Mrs. Gordon: And what year would you say you are at now? Mr. Ongie: We are now 'up to about 1938 from 1896. Mrs. Gordon: You have a long way to go then. Mr. Ongie: Well, and, of cotirSe, as you come forward in time because as the City got bigger so did the records, so it is a slower process as you go for- ward in time. Mrs. Gordon: And how many years do you figure before it is complete? Mr. Ongie: Well, I Would project at the rate that we are going that we would be current in alpProxilnatelY two Irtore years and we will have the back log of records probably caught up by Mrs. Gordon: And with the staff you have requested you can c°Ini)le te the project i.n that period of time? Mr. pluttutter: What is the average increase of the employees in salary? Mr. Ongie: Standard 5% rinitiversa y • Mr. Plummer: Any other questions of the Clerk? The next item is the Conference Center.