1994-06-28 Workshop•
CITY OF OKEECHOBEE
CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP
SUMMARY OF COUNCIL DISCUSSION
A. Call workshop to order on June 28, 1994 at 7:00 P.M.
B. Mayor and Council attendance:
Mayor James E. Kirk
Councilmember Danny P. Entry
Councilmember Michael G. O'Connor
Councilmember Jerry E. Walker
Councilmember Dowling R. Watford, Jr.
Staff attendance:
Attorney John R. Cook
Administrator John J. Drago
City Clerk Bonnie S. Thomas
Deputy Clerk S. Lane Gamiotea
C. Hear a presentation on Utility Service Solutions by Dean, Mead
and Minton and Hartman and Asociates, Inc.
Mayor Kirk called the workshop to order at 7:04 p.m. on June 28, 1994.
Present
Present
Present
Present
Present
Absent
Present
Absent
Present
Seated at the table with the Mayor and Councilmembers were the Utility Working
Group members, Chairman John Abney, County Commissioner Chairman
Charles Harvey, Mr. Frank Altobello, Okeechobee Beach Water Association
Boardmember Mr. Jack Coker; City Engineer Bill Reese of Reese, Macon &
Associates; Phil and Kathy Gonot of PMG & Associates the City's rate analyst
and five representatives of Dean, Mead and Minton and Hartman and
Associates.
Before discussion began, Mayor Kirk explained the rules of the workshop. He
then introduced Attorney Mike Minton whose company had a presentation for the
Council and Utility Working Group.
PAGE 1 OF 3
•
C. Presentation continued:
JUNE 28, 1994 - WORKSHOP - PAGE 2 OF 3
Attorney Mike Minton began by thanking the Council and Utility Working Group
for inviting them to the workshop. Attorney Minton explained he is the managing
share holder of Dean, Mead & Minton, the local office is in Fort Pierce. The firm
is a thirty-three member law firm, primarily based on business relations, business
law activities and transaction work, with five offices throughout Central and
South Florida.
Attorney Minton's background is a tax and real estate lawyer. Present with him
was Robert Klien who is a real estate transaction lawyer; Kenneth Crooks, is an
attorney out of the Brevard office, and handles the government relations and
utility expertise; coupled with their team of lawyers is Hartman and Associates,
which is an eighty person engineering firm. He then introduced Gerald Hartman
and Mike Rocca explaining further they bring the economical analysis to the
team since they have a wide range and variety of experience in dealing with
utility authorities and utility companies, recognizing rates, economics, structure
and has been involved in just about every conceivable combination to form a
utility authority.
Attorney Minton stated, we do not come here this evening to tell you that we
have all the answers. What we come here to tell you is that, we are willing to put
together the team of the best trained professionals that we can arrange to help
you identify your goals and competing interest and then to design a structure to
try and achieve those goals and competing interest. We are committed to take
an innovative approach to try to achieve those goals.
For example, compare it to the idea of a custom built home as compared to a
"preplan cookie cutter community". Our approach is one of a custom built home,
we would like to find out what you want in that home, what the rooms should
look like and then once we design the rooms then build the structure to
encompass that, and that is what we bring to the table, is try to do that custom
built approach.
370
C. Presentation continued:
ADJOURNMENT: Mayor Kirk
Notice is hereby given that if any person should decide to appeal any decision made
at this meeting of the City Council, such person will need to insure that a verbatim
record of the proceedings is made which inc a estimony and evidence on
which the appeal is based. ® /%
In -
James Er. Kirk, Mayor
ATTEST:
Bonnie S. Thomas, CIVIC, City Clerk
JUNE 28, 1994 - WORKSHOP - PAGE 3 OF 3
Attorney Klien then brought the Council up to date from the meeting with the
Utility Working Group.
Engineer Hartman distributed copies and went through the analysis report page
by page concerning goals, possible solutions, benefits, revenues, what has to
be given up, agreements, rate comparisons and hearings that would effect the
City, County and Okeechobee Beach Water Association.
Questions were then entertained from the Council, Mr. Gonot and Utility Working
Group members.
Following brief discussion Mayor Kirk and Councilmembers Walker and Watford
agreed this was the best place to start and the most comfortable for all sides
involved. Councilmember Entry stated he felt a little better about it than the first
workshop.
Mayor Kirk instructed Mr. Gonot to meet with Engineer Hartman to go over the
rate comparisons. Council will discuss this matter at the next Council meeting
scheduled for July 19, 1994.
There being no further discussion, Mayor Kirk adjourned the workshop at 9:05
p.m.
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