08-05-86 v UNOFFICIAL MINUTES OF THE BUDGET WORKSHOP MEETING OF THE ATLANTIC
BEACH COMMISSION HELD AT CITY HALL ON AUGUST 5, 1986 AT 7 :00 P.M.
Mayor Howell called the budget workshop meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Those
present were Mayor William Howell, Commissioners Robert B. Cook,Sr. , Glenn A.
Edwards, William I. Gulliford, Jr. , and John W. Morris, Jr. ; City Manager,
Richard C. Fellows, City Clerk, Adelaide Tucker, and all Department Heads. The
proposed Capital Improvements program was the first to discuss:
1. Acct.510 - A/C for City Hall, $5,000, Strike. The A/C unit to be paid out of
FY 85-86.
2. Acct. 512 - File cabinet, $200. Leave In.
3. Acct. 513 - Surge Protectors,Fin.Dir.$2,000 Leave in - Shop around
4. Acct. 515-Locking cabinets-$290, Leave in get State bid price. It was the
consensus that most of the proposed items were priced too high.
5. Acct. 517 -typewriter and file cabinet, $980, Strike $690. Commissioner
Gulliford noted he had reviewed a software program written for
clerks and recommended the software be purchased as he felt the
control of records and inventory would be much more efficient
than than we have now. Add $3,000 proposed for Acct.510 to Acct.
517.
6. Acct 521- replace desks, etc. for new Public Safety Building $2,500 Leave in
7. Acct.521 -patrol cars.- $55,000-Leave in temporarily. Chief Thompson
explained $25,000 budgeted in 84-85 was not used, but was carried
over. Also, these cars could be purchased with Federal Revenue
Sharing Funds that had to be spent this year. He also suggested
one of the old cars be saved for detective use and save one for
city use. He was asked why we don't rotate cars & buy 2-3 each
year. Mr. Fellows said they could do the same thing by reserving
the funds each year and earning interest on the funds.
8. Acct.521- 911 Equipment - $5,000 - Flag, the Mayor will check on item
9. Acct.521 Photo equipment - $800.Flag. Chief Thompson requested permission
to replace photo equipment & accessories for 35mm, tripod, & flash
to be more effective for shots of bad accidents, etc. particularly
night shots. He was not sure of prices.
Mayor Howell commented the department heads probably thought they
were just sitting there nit-picking, but all they wanted was total
prices of items the departments felt they actually needed, not
over-estimated or under-estimated.
10. Acct. 521 Portable radios, $2,748. leave in. State price. Chief Thompson
said he had recently been in touch with another company that has
a radio with the same power as the ones proposed, not state price,
but might be less. Lengthy discussion on this.
Commissioner Gulliford commented you should have some kind of
limit. In looking at the last two years revenues, he found the
first year between what was budgeted and the actual revenue was
PAGE TWO
BUDGET MINUTES
AUGUST 5, 1986
a swing of $173,000. That would just about cover the capital expendi-
tures for that year, and based on last year's estimate, he had a
swing of $116,000 more revenues than what was projected. Double that
up with the fact he put it in here, you would end up with a two and one-
half million dollar carry-over. He said he would feel more productive
watching television. They should set some kind of guidelines, and
standards and discipline themselves to limit the expansion of expendi-
tures to something meaningful. Once you limit the expansion of
expenditures, then you establish your priorities, and then people would
be fighting over the funds available. Here, it was "carte blanche".
You say this is what we are going to get in revenues so everyone go
out and spend it.
Mr. Fellows said the budget was simply an estimate of what you think
you are going to receive. There is no sure way of knowing what your
revenues are going to be, and no sure way of telling what you are going
to spend. The budget is only a guide line, and as they all knew, the
city has spent thousands of dollars in 85-86, with Commission approval,
on items unanticipated that were not budgeted. It would not be wise to
let cash carry forward get too low.
Commissioner Gulliford referred to workshop meeting of FY83-84 where a
motion was made and carried that would stipulate the carry-over for
any one year would not exceed or drop below 25% of the proposed
expenditures. Any excess of 25% would be transferred to a Capital
Improvements Account. If the carry-over dropped below 25%, it would be
the responsibility of the City Commission to make up the balance.
Mr. Fellows pointed out they could use cash carry forward for one time
expenses, but they had better not use cash carry forward for permanent
employees and recurring expenses, because eventually the cash carry
forward would be depleted. He said he was not aware of the motion made
in 83-84, but he thought it was an excellent provision. In the way the
budget was broken down, it showed a cash forward in every one of the
funds at the time, in Capital Improvements they had almost $400,000
that was not spent last year. Some of it would be spent before 9/30/86,
some of it would not. That was not a planned situation. It came about
as the results of vendor participation, wishes of the Commission, etc.
They had $100,000 since 10/1/86 for paving streets, and here they
were, just 30 days away from the end of the fiscal year and the money
had not been spent. Someone could say, he had just plugged that money
in and now they had to have another $100,000 cash carry over.
Mayor Howell reminded Mr. Fellows the Public Safety Building was coming
from a bond loan, and so was the street paving, so essentially he could
not really say those items were carry-overs. Mr. Fellows responded it
was a revenue. We may get it and we may not. What he was offering was a
wide open document for the Commission to get involved in.The Department
heads put in items they thought were needed and the purpose of everyone
getting together was to make some rational decisions.
PAGE THREE
BUDGET MINUTES
AUGUST 5, 1986
Commissioner Gulliford expressed the opinion there should be some kind
of restriction on "internal" items to force people within the city
government to prioritize. Following discussion among the employees, the
one with the most needs would get the piece of equipment. As to long
term projects, such as the new public safety building, sewers, street
paving, new line construction, etc. ,they should be treated differently.
Mr. Fellows responded they had prioritized some, but obviously not
enough. When the budget was put together, they had a $400,000 deficit
in the general fund, now it was $60,000.
Commissioner Morris expressed the opinion he would much rather see a
million or two in surplus than a $400,000 deficit, but he would not
argue that one million dollars was too high. Everyone should be doing
their homework closer rather than asking for an item with no firm
price. He emphasized the point, however, he did not want to budget so
tight that drug work would be eliminated. Mr. Fellows explained they
spent a tremendous amount of money on over-time in the Police Dept
for that purpose prior to February, 1986, but it was staggering. He
felt the community should decide the level of police activity they
are going to be willing to pay for.
11. Acct. 522. Office furn. & equip. $2,350. leave in. Discussion on increasing
12. Acct. 522. Firefighting equipment. $12,225 Leave in
13. Acct. 524 File cabinet. $290. Leave in
14. Acct.524 Build.Inspt.Auto. $10,000 Leave in- City Manager to get the new car
and pass down his car to Mr.Braid. One police car may be used also.
15. Acct.541 Dump truck. $30,000 - Strike. Lengthy discussion on purchasing a
slope mower in lieu of the dump truck.
16. Acct.541 Equipment trailer. $6,500. Leave in
17. Acct. 541 Water tank trailer. $4,000. Leave in
18. Acct. 541 Mower attachment $1,400. Leave in
19. acct. 541 Weed Eaters- $600. Leave in
20. Acct. 572 Ball park lights. $1 ,500. Leave in
21. Acct. 572 Fencing ball park,etc. $1,000. Leave in.
22. Acct. 590 Tire balancer. $2,500 - Strike
23-26. Acct.596. Sewer plant rehab. ,eng.& sludge hauler EPA $1,128,000 Leave in
27-28 Acct. 572. Recreation bldg. ,tennis court & lights. $59,000 - hold
29-30 Acct. 30541 Public Safety Bldg. & engineer. $390,000. Leave in
PAGE FOUR
BUDGET WORKSHOP
AUGUST 5,1986
31. Acct.541 Warehouse -undercover storage. $50,000. Hold. Bring back new
estimate
32. Acct. 541 Street Construction-Sec.H. $300,000 anticipated to do with city
share of gasoline tax. Leave in.
33. Acct. 541 Sidewalks. $50,000. Leave in. Bids are coming in next meeting.
May be finished before next year's budget, but not paid for.
34. Acct. 541. Drainage imp.-Gen. $60,000. Leave in. FML
35. Acct. 541 Drainage imp.-Sec.H.-$130,000 from gas tax. Leave in
36. Acct. 40533 Painting,fencing & resodding,$15,000, Leave in - City accepted
$7,000 from Selva Lakes Developers to paint water plant #1, fix
up the roof, etc. City will pay $8,000.
37.-38.Acct. 40533 Hydropneumatic tank & emergency gen.-Water plant #2. $100,000
Leave in - Hire professional engineering help first. Mr. Braid
hopes to obtain an engineer as consultant for less than $2,500.
39. Acct.40533 Major Equip.Overhaul-$176,800 - FML-carry-over from 85-86.Leave in
40. Acct. 40533 Royal Palm Mains replace. ,$50,000-carry-over from 85-86-Leave in
41. Acct.40533, Beach Aven.Main replace. ,$60,000. Leave in.
42. Acct.40533, Portable radio, $900. Leave in.
43.Acct.40533, Pipe threading machine 4", $4,300, Leave in-reduce to 2", Go to
Jax Bch if 4" is needed. Get price
44.Acct.40533, Pickup truck (diesel) for distribution Chief,$12,411 Leave in
45-56.Acct.41595,total sewer fund items requested, $459,375.Leave in. Clarifier
conversion,sodding,sewer line replacement,FML,seminole force main,
sewer plt. railing, etc. No carry-over.
57.Acct.42534 Trash containers, $6.500 Leave in
58.Acct.42534, 2 Cushman/P.U. 's, replacements- $20,0000 Leave in- Mr. Braid asked
to buy two 3 yd. dumpsters that would fit in any pickup and one
cushman. Commissioner Gulliford suggested Mr. Braid contact the
distributor who sells miniature compactor garbage trucks. May come
in and demonstrate for a few months.
59.Acct.42534 40 yard. roll-off container, $4,000, Leave in
60-63 Acct.43533, Buccaneer items needed.$105,000, Leave in.
64. Acct.61529, Microcomputer paid ouf of police court funds,$1,500,Leave in.
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