2024-08-20 Draft 08-09-2024 Minutes • • Exhibit 1
08/20/2024
rkiP"µ"`me CITY OF OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA 1 ' ��
r� A.
��1�y.OF•�KFF`yo=
( ► „„ AUGUST 6, 2024, REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
AND FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024-25
- `•,;••'• URAFT IVIINUTES
I. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Watford called the regular meeting of the City Council for the City of Okeechobee to order on August
6, 2024, at 5:00 P.M. in the City Council Chambers, located at 55 Southeast (SE) 3rd Avenue (AVE), Room
200, Okeechobee, Florida. The invocation was offered by Mayor Watford: followed by the Pledge of
Allegiance led by Vice Mayor Clark.
II. ATTENDANCE
City Clerk Lane Gamiotea called the roll. Members present to establish a quorum: Mayor Dowling R. Watford,
Jr., Vice Mayor Monica M. Clark, Council Members Noel A. Chandler, Robert "Bob" Jarriel, and David R.
McAuley.
III. AGENDA AND PUBLIC COMMENTS
A. Mayor Watford announced the following modifications to the agenda: move Consent item "F" to New
Business item "A" and renumber New Business items "A through C" to be `'B through D".
B. Council Member Jarriel made a motion. seconded by Council Member McAuley, to adopt the agenda as
amended.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
C. There were no comment cards submitted for public participation on issues not on the agenda.
IV. CONSENT AGENDA
Council Member McAuley made a motion, seconded by Council Member Jarriel to:
A. Dispense with the reading and approve the Minutes for July 16, 2024, and July 24, 2024, [as presented
in Exhibit 1];
B. Cancel the October 1, 2024, Regular Meeting;
C. Appoint Ms. Dora Roberts as an Alternate Member to the Planning Board, the Board of Adjustment, and
the Design Review Board, term beginning August 7, 2024, and ending April 30. 2027, [as presented in
Exhibit 2];
D. Appoint Mr. John Gilliland as a Regular Member to the Okeechobee Utility Authority [Board of Directors],
term beginning August 7, 2024, and ending March 1, 2025, [as presented in Exhibit 3]; and
E. Temporarily close a portion of Southwest 3rd and 4th AVE between North and South Park Streets (ST)
from 5:00 P.M. on September 1, 2024, to 5:00 P.M. on September 2, 2024, for the Labor Day Festival,
submitted by Okeechobee Main Street (OKMS) [as presented in Exhibit 4].
Motion Carried Unanimously.
V. NEW BUSINESS [order of items as amended]
A. Motion by Council Member Jarriel, seconded by Vice Mayor Clark, to approve a Park Use [Application]
for a Farmer's Market as submitted by OKMS from 3:00 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. on the first and third
Wednesdays of each month beginning with October 2, 2024, and ending April 16, 2024, [as presented in
Exhibit 5, Note: Park Use Applications are approved by City staff. City Administrator Ritter put this
specific Application before the City Council to ensure their approval. OKMS held these events in 2005
and 2006.]
Motion Carried Unanimously.
B. Staff presented their research and recommendation to not renew the Street Sweeping Contract, due to
the poor quality of service and increased cost, and instead to purchase an Elgin Broom Badger Street
Sweeper for $287,000.00 with American Recovery Act Funds to provide this service through Public
Works staff, Exhibit 6. The Council decided to delay this discussion to the Budget Workshop
section of the agenda [see page 3].
C. Motion by Council Member Jarriel, seconded by Vice Mayor Clark, to approve the Agreement with the
Okeechobee County School Board for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 School Resource Officer (SRO)
Program [as presented in Exhibit 7].
Motion Carried Unanimously.
DRAFT MINUTES AUGUST 6, 2024. CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING & FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP FOR FY 2024-25.
PAGE 1 OF 4
• •
V. NEW BUSINESS CONTINUED
D. Motion by Vice Mayor Clark, seconded by Council Member Jarriel, to approve the Second Amendment
to the Contract for Building Official and Inspection Services with JC Newell Construction Inspection
Services, Inc. [as presented in Exhibit 8].
Motion Carried Unanimously.
VI. CITY ATTORNEY UPDATE
• Submitted Engineering Services Agreement to the City on August 5, 2024.
• Researching opinions for Animal Control Services.
• The City Administrator's Employee Agreement amendment is in the works.
• The Electric Vehicle Charging Station revised Agreement was sent for review on July 31, 2024.
• There was no Opinion found regarding Business Tax Receipt requirements for Hobby Breeders.
• The FY 2024-25 SRO Agreement was reviewed and sent to the City for execution.
• An Opinion for the maximum millage determination was sent to the City on July 25, 2024.
• A draft of the Attorney General's Opinion regarding revisions to the Food Truck Ordinance is under
review.
• The Second Amendment to the Building Official's Contract was completed on July 22, 2024.
• Post Charter, Code amendments were sent July 9, 2024, awaiting response from the City.
• Waiting for contact from Landmark Precast, LLC to schedule the sale of Commerce Center Lots 17, 17A,
and 17B.
• Continuing to work on the Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions for the Commerce Center.
• Code Enforcement Special Magistrate amended Ordinance sent to City staff on July 10, 2024, awaiting
response from the City.
VII. CITY ADMINISTRATOR UPDATE
• Proposed Special Magistrate Code Enforcement amendments will be on the next agenda for first reading.
• Hoping to finalize the bid documents for the City Hall Hardening Project next week.
• The deposit is in escrow from Landmark Precast, LLC. The City is waiting to hear from them to schedule
the closing.
VIII. COUNCIL COMMENTS
• There were none.
IX. MAYOR WATFORD RECESSED THE REGULAR MEETING AND OPENED THE FIRST BUDGET
WORKSHOP FOR FY 2024-25 AT 5:26 P.M.
A. The purpose of the Workshop was to review and discuss the proposed Budget for FY 2024-25 [as
presented in Exhibit 9].
Finance Director India Riedel distributed revised page numbers for 1 a, 1 b, 1c, and 20 to the Budget, and
a page with three possible Millage Rate options, which were added to Exhibit 9. The majority
consensus of the Council was to use Option Two, Millage Rate at 6.1602 (the Rollback Rate with
the Consumer Price Index of 5.69 percent applied). Budget page number 1 b, with a Millage Rate of
6.1602, shows the recapitulation for General Fund: beginning Fund Balance, $4,342,501.00 and Roll-
forward from previous year, $20,246.00. Projected Revenues total, $8,462,603.00. Budget pages 2 and
3 provided the detailed line-item breakdown (or source) of the Revenues, the sub-totals of each source
category are: 96 percent of Ad Valorem $3,027,222.00; Other Fees $880,700.00; Intergovernmental
$2,128,834.00; Charges for Services $1,591,901.00; Fines, Forfeitures, Penalties $30,100.00; Uses of
Money and Property $373,300.00; Other Revenues $60,300.00; and Transfer-in from Public Facilities
Improvement Fund $350,000.00.
Estimated Expenditures total, $8,462,603.00. Budget page numbers 4 through 22 provided the detailed
content and listed below. The personnel costs for each Department included the 33 percent Class Parity
salary increase for the positions provided in the Evergreen Salary Study and a 4 percent Cost of Living
Allowance increase for all positions excluding the City Council, those salaries increased by 3.4 percent,
per the Consumer Price Index as stipulated in Charter Section C-2.6. Each Department also has their
apportioned IT service, security, cloud storage, and cyber training expenses:
511-Legislative/City Council (pages 4 and 5)
Total Personnel Costs: $ 90,180.00
Total Supplies and Other Services: $ 89,550.00
FY 2024-25 Proposed Total: $ 179,730.00
512-Executive/Administration (pages 6 and 7)
Total Personnel Costs: $ 216,663.00
Total Supplies and Other Services: $ 51,500.00
FY 2024-25 Proposed Total: $ 268,163.00
DRAFT MINUTES AUGUST 6,2024,CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING&FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP FOR FY 2024-25,
PAGE 2 OF 4
• •
IX. FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP FOR FY 2024-25 CONTINUED
A. Continued: General Fund projected expenditures by Department:
1512-Executive/Human Resources (pages 8 and 9)
Total Personnel Costs: $ 72,382.00
Total Supplies and Other Services: $ 15,520.00
FY 2024-25 Proposed Total: $ 87,902.00
2512-Executive/City Clerk (pages 10 and 11)
Total Personnel Costs: $ 233,287.00
Total Supplies and Other Services: $ 83,220.00
FY 2024-25 Proposed Total: $ 316,507.00
514-Legal Services (page 12)
FY 2024-25 Proposed Total: $ 196,400.00
513-Finance (pages 13 and 14)
Total Personnel Costs: $ 240,626.00
Total Supplies and Other Services: $ 129,340.00
FY 2024-25 Proposed Total: $ 369,966.00
519-General Services (pages 15 and 16)
Total Personnel Costs: $ 204,785.00
Total Supplies and Other Services: $ 441,504.00
FY 2024-25 Proposed Total: $ 646,289.00
521-Police Department (pages 17 and 18)
Total Personnel Costs: $ 3,085,947.00
Total Supplies and Other Services: $ 586,395.00
FY 2024-25 Proposed Total: $ 3,672,342.00
522-Fire and 529-Public Safety Department (pages 19 and 20)
Total Personnel Costs: $ 55,000.00
Total Supplies and Other Services: $ 1,02,823.00
FY 2024-25 Proposed Total: $ 1,081,823.00
The County's fees to provide Fire Services in the City increased to S814,200.00. The Agreement for these
services expires in 2026. It was the consensus of the Council to have the City Attorney and
Administrator research the timeline and process to transfer this service to the County to be paid
by an annual Fire Assessment from City property owners,the same as they currently pay the EMS
service. This would eliminate the City from having to budget for the contractual services and
could go into effect after the contract expires.
541-Public Works (pages 21 and 22)
Total Personnel Costs: $ 787,590.00
Total Supplies and Other Services: $ 1,003,152.00
FY 2024-25 Proposed Total: $ 1,790,742.00
MAYOR WATFORD RECESSED THE WORKSHOP AT 7:05 P.M. AND RECONVENED AT 7:15 P.M.
The Public Facilities Improvement (Transportation) Fund (pages 23 and 24) figures were presented
as follows: beginning Fund Balance, $526,192.00: projected Revenues, $792,700.00: estimated
Expenditures, $911,000.00; plus $350,000.00 to be transferred-out to the General Fund. Fund Balance,
$57,892.00. Per Council instruction to repave as many roadways as possible in this FY. S460,000.00 is
earmarked for a portion of that project.
The Capital Improvement Projects Fund (pages 25 and 26) figures were presented as follows:
beginning Fund Balance, $4,069,535.00: projected Revenues, $0.00: estimated Expenditures,
$1,582,010.00, of which $1,000,000.00 is earmarked to repave roadways in this FY. Fund Balance,
$2,487,525.00.
The Other Grants (302-Taylor Creek, SE 4th ST) Fund (page 27); project has been completed.
The Industrial Development Grant Fund (page 28) figures presented as follows: projected Revenues
(America Rescue Plan Act Funds), $1,010,323.00; estimated Expenditures, $1,010,323.00 for
stormwater infrastructure and the purchase of an Elgin Broom Badger Street Sweeper. It was the
consensus of the Council for City staff to do more research on the purchase of the street sweeper
such as the life expectancy of the equipment, references,and opinions from other cities who have
purchased similar equipment and provide the service over contracting it out.
DRAFT MINUTES AUGUST 6, 2024, CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING & FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP FOR FY 2024-25,
PAGE 3 OF 4
a
IX. FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP FOR FY 2024-25 CONTINUED
A. Continued: The Appropriations Grant (307-SE 8th AVE) Fund (page 29) projected Revenues,
$240,000.00; estimated Expenditures, $192,000.00. Fund Balance, $48,000.00.
The Other Grant Capital (309-City Hall Renovations) Fund (page 30) figures were presented as
follows: projected Revenues, $1,200,000.00; estimated Expenditures, $864,750.00; Fund Balance,
$335,250.00, with $91,750.00 due to General Fund noted.
The final proposed budget was the Law Enforcement Special Fund (page 31):beginning Fund Balance,
$7,390.00; projected Revenues, $1,000.00; estimated Expenditures, $6,000.00; Fund Balance,
$2,390.00.
The Second Budget Workshop will be held on August 20,2024,with the regular meeting,and time change
to 5:00 P.M.
X. MAYOR WATFORD CLOSED THE FIRST FY 2024-25 BUDGET WORKSHOP AND RECONVENED IN
REGULAR SESSION AT 8:21 P.M.
A. There were no unfinished items or issues from the Budget Workshop to be discussed.
XI. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Watford adjourned the meeting at 8:21 P.M.
Submitted By:
Lane Gamiotea, CMC, City Clerk
Please take notice and be advised that when a person decides to appeal any decision made by the City Council with respect to any matter
considered at this meeting, s/he may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceeding is made,which record includes the testimony
and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based. City Clerk media are for the sole purpose of backup for official records of the Clerk.
DRAFT MINUTES AUGUST 6,2024, CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING&FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP FOR FY 2024-25,
PAGE 4 OF 4