Good evening and welcome to the Tensative Budget Hearing for the City of Bokeh, Roton and his Monday, September 9, 2024. The time is 6 p.m. or first item of business is a Pledge of Allegiance. Will you please rise and join in? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. We please call the roll, Missedans. Mayor Singer. Yes, here. Deputy Mayor Drucker, here. Council Member Nackles. Here. Council Member Thompson. Thank you for being here. Council Member Waketer. Here. All present. And this is a public hearing on the tentative budget and proposed milledrates for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Our first item is a presentation on the tentative budget proposed milled rates and capital improvements plan. And I'll recognize her city manager, Mr. Brown. Thank you, Mayor. Sharon McGuire, our office of management budget director, will make the presentation on the tentative budget, proposed military and capital improvement program. Thank you, Ms. McGuire, welcome. Good evening, Mayor, council. Sharon McGuire, OMB Director. I'm going to do a brief overview of the operating budget. This is the CIP. I could do CIP briefly too. I think that's it. All right, thank you. And the budget supports the mission and vision and values, the vision of Boquer-Tone, world class community, where modern amenities and innovation embrace safe, beautiful charming neighborhoods and vibrant economy enriched by exceptional recreation and cultural offerings. And the mission to responsibly provide outstanding services to enhance unique quality of life and the values, fairness, integrity, respect, service, and trust. This year we have made sure that the budget supports the new strategic focus and priorities. On there's seven of these focus areas, community safety, financially sound, vibrant economy, quality of life, world-class services, transportation and mobility, and growth management. And you'll see that all the investments in the budget support those and we tie them together. The military is slightly lower for next year than for the current year. It's a military of 3.6782 from 3.6783. We also have the fire assessment is a big one of the revenue sources and we're keeping the fire assessment fee the same as in the prior years with the residential property at $155 per year. This shows a history of the military and the assessed value. So the military has been pretty steady since 2015 and the values have been increasing throughout the year. So the line shows that at the $37.6 billion in assessed value for next year. We do the property taxes, explained for a short, and this is out of the brochure that shows the various taxing agencies. And for every dollar that a city of Boquerton, resident pays the 21.49% goes so 21.5 cents go to the city and the rest go to the other taxing agencies. So the total annual property taxes from the city of Boqueratone for all of the taxing agencies is 610,637,480. And also in the brochure, we show a comparison of the tax rate to the neighboring cities that are other full-service cities and where the lowest of city at 3.68 up to West Palm. That's 8.19. Mills, we also show the water rates and we also have the lowest water rates from our comparable cities. For next year's general fund revenue, this shows the proposed budget to the approved budget of last year, which was 222.8 million and the revenues we expect are 233.5 million. And the increase is mostly in the advalorum taxes, which although the military didn't raise our values increased 8.5 percent about. And this shows the comparison of expenditures from current year to next year that we're going from 222,687 million to 244, 591, 700. And most of those increases are in public safety. And we outline those more. There's the general fund revenue and the breakdown of where the increase and decreases are in the revenues. So 10.7 million is the increase and 10 million of that is from the increase in the values from advalarm taxes. For the expenditure side, 20 million, 855 is the increase. And a lot of that is in police and fire salaries and benefits and there's a large increase in the pension. There's some new programs and I'll go through those. The new programs for 1.5 million are a new traffic mobility and connectivity division. Some public art program expansion, neighborhood streets, tree program, go for tortoise preserve, rough ferd, like Wyman improvements. And there's 10 new positions in the general fund, HRIS coordinator, legal specialist, purchasing technician, which is being converted from part time to full time, a grant specialist, one police officer and a homeless liaison unit is being added, fleet quality assurance assistant, park ranger, environmental officer, and parking enforcement representative, three part time are being converted to one full time. That is being funded by the CRA and the construction manager, which is also being funded by the CRA. And the other funds, we have nine new full time positions, building permit. We have a permit licensing technician and stormwater. We have a maintenance supervisor and water and sewer. We have a customer service field operator and a quality control analyst. Information technology, a broadcast video technician being converted from part time, a business analyst and utility services, IT data analyst, public safety video, security supervisor and network analyst, public safety, video security supervisor, and network analyst, public safety. This shows where we are aligning the new positions with the specific focus area for community safety, the police officer, park ranger, public safety, video supervisor, network analyst, and the projects are the public safety de-escalation, public safety information management, system and station alerting replacement. For financially sound, we are adding the HRS coordinator, purchasing technician, grant specialist, senior buyer, business analyst, and IT data analyst. For area of quality of life, we're adding Park Ranger, which also goes along with community safety, public art, program, neighborhood street, centennial celebration, rec services master plan, and sandborne square renovation. For work-class services, the legal specialist fleet quality assurance, environmental officer, which also goes with growth management, parking enforcement representative, construction project manager, also aligns with growth management, permit licensing technician, also growth management maintenance supervisor, customer service, field operator, quality control analyst and broadcast video. For world-class services, the projects which are in the CIP, some of these projects, government campus, master plan, transit oriented community, also growth management, the base building expansion, also growth management, critical infrastructure improvements for ISIP, water treatment facility improvements, water upgrades, replacement expansion, and alternative energy projects. For transportation and mobility, we have new traffic mobility connectivity division, downtown Palmetto Park connectivity and mobility, mobility and connectivity improvements, vision zero, downtown walkability, railroad crossing, traffic improvements, CERA infrastructure expansion, northwest Northwest Southwest, fourth Avenue widening. Under growth management, again, environmental officer, construction project manager, permit licensing technician, base expansion, government campus, master plan, transit, oriented community. This is shows the expected fund balance and reserves flowing through from current year to next year, where we will spend our expenditures are 244,591 and the revenues are 233,531, which leaves a decrease of $11 million. As you know, we budget very conservatively, so we expect that the revenues usually exceed what we budget and the expenditures are less than what we budget. So we don't end up with those. We also have a fund balance plan of the $24.5 million is the 10% of the expenditures, as well as 10% of expenditures is reserved for hurricane disaster. And a reserve for the Army Corps of Engineers, $170,000, with a designated carry forward of $30.484 million, leaving a total reserve of $ 79.57 to 900. And I'll be happy to answer any questions. Council members any questions? Is Brad should we continue with the presentations? Yes we continue with the proposed millis rate which we've already reviewed and the CIP. Okay. Yeah, we can go through the CIP. It's the same presentation that Jim service did the last meeting and there was some CIP in that too. So I'll go really. CIP? I will go quickly through the CIP. As you know, the CIP is up. Only the first year is approved for the fall for next year and the five years out is a planned or just to show what projects that we have coming that we expect and then the plan does change. For the CIP it's funded by various methods. 8% of ad valorm taxes are being allocated for next year's CIP. We still have some infrastructure surtax and some projects that go along with that. One percent of utility tax, transportation, fuel, county, state, and federal special assessments, bond proceeds, grants, beach and park district donations and water and sewer revenues. And again, the same thing. We have tied all of the CIP projects to the strategic focus areas and priorities. And we identify those with all the projects that are in the CIP in a nice big book for you with all the descriptions of all the projects. The projects total in the whole program over $1 billion. Vehicles and equipment are 54,708. We show the breakdown of where those projects are. Most projects are in municipal services, because any project that requires engineering and it goes into municipal services. So even if it's a fire station or recreational project, if it's something that requires those kind of skills, it's in the municipal services budget. So they have 48 per, almost 50% of the whole budget and then utility services has some very large projects. These are all the various funding sources and by the percentages, if I went back, the projects that have the most funding, 30.58% of all the projects are of water and sewer. And then there are various funding sources. The projects for next fiscal year would be 276,150 and vehicles and equipment of 10,942,300. And again, 48% of that is municipal services projects and 44% is utilities. Police have 3.8 million for public safety de-escalation and public safety information management. So these are community safety, focus areas, also fire and rescue community safety, 1.9 and projects, 3.6 in vehicles, and those are for replacements of fire trucks. And municipal services, key projects our government campus master plan, which supports the world-class services and growth management, the base building, railroad crossings at Jeffrey Street, transportation and mobility. You can see we have various funding sources here also. There's some grant funding from the FDOT and the DOE. There's a few million dollars from there and the Transportation Fund, 6.8 million. A little bit of Palm Beach County and various other sources. This continues with their projects of the same, the Southwest Fourth Avenue widening for Transportation and Mobility, Downtown Walkability Improvements, Transportation and Mobility, Sanborn Square renovations,000 in projects, and these are rehab of the Water and Sewer System and Critical Infrastructure Assessment, which is all world-class services. More utilities, wastewater upgrades, replacements, expansions, all-wheel-class services. REC services has 450,000 in projects for REC service master plan and playground renovations, which are in renovations at Sugar Sand and Lake Wyman Parks for quality of life. Information technology has 9,148,000. Their key projects are public safety CAD and record system and financial system phase two enhancements. So that's financially sound in city and community safety. And we did this chart to show where the focus areas and the strategic priorities where the money is being budgeted. So the orange is all the years in the blue or purple or whatever color that is next year's capital costs. So a lot of it is more class services you can see. And I'll be happy to answer any questions. Thank you, Councillor Marvers, any questions on the capital improvements plan. All right, well thank you. I think that concludes the presentation from yes. Very well. So we'll now move to the public hearing on the tentative budget and proposed milled rates. And Ms. Siddins, would you please read Resolution 872024 in full and then the title of Resolution 882024? Resolution 872024. A resolution of the City of Boca Raton adopting proposed milled rates necessary to fund a tentative budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, providing for severability, providing for repealer, providing an effective date. Whereas Section 200.065 Florida statutes requires among other things that the City Council of the City of Boca Raton adopt a proposed budget after notice and public hearing prior to adopting a final budget or final millage rates. And whereas the City Council has conducted a public hearing on a tentative budget and proposed millage rates as required by law. Now therefore be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Boca Raton. Section 1, the City Council of the City of Boca Raton hereby adopts the following proposed ad fullorum tax millage rates as being necessary to fund a budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1st, 2024, and ending September 30th, 2025. 1, the percentage by which the proposed millage rate to be levied exceeds the rollback rate of 3.4226 mills. Computed pursuant to Florida law is 6.92%, which represents the percentage increase in property taxes, according to the characterization ascribed to the percentage by the Florida legislature in section 200.0652c, Florida statutes. To the proposed milled rate for non-exempt taxable property within the city of Boqueratown, shall be 3.6596 mills for operational purposes. 3. The proposed milled rate for non-exempt taxable property within the city of Boca Raton shall be 0.0186 mills for debt service. 4. The total proposed milled rate shall be 3.6782 mills. Section 2. The proposed milled ratesed. The bill will be billed. The bill will be billed. The bill will be billed. The bill will be billed. The bill will be billed. The bill will be billed. The bill will be billed. The bill will be billed. The bill will be billed. The bill will be billed. The bill will be billed. The bill will be billed. Section 3. If any section, subsection, clause or provision of this resolution is held in valid, the remainder shall not be affected by section validity. Section 4. All resolutions or parts of resolutions in conflict herewith shall be in hereby are repealed. Section 5. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption. Resolution 88. 2024. A resolution of the city of Boca Raton adopting a tentative budget for the 2024 through 2025 fiscal year. Providing for separability, providing for a peeler, providing an effective date. Thank you and we can kick off our discussion and any public comments concerning any changes of the milled rate or increase, proposed decrease in the military, if we have any. So council members, any questions or comments you want to add now? Seeing none, we'll open up the public hearing on the tentative budget. Anyone wishing to speak on the tentative budget or the proposed milled rates? I will announce that we have received an alphabetical list of nonprofit organizations who've requested funding. And several years ago we changed the process, which I think actually is working out much better. So the nonprofits don't have to come in person and plead their case. And we've got a lot more information that's helpful to us. And obviously, the level of anyone who wants. So the organizations will not be giving oral presentations, but we'll continue to review those detailed submissions. This is an opportunity now on our item E to amend the budget. The tentative budget as Councillor Impassif fit. Historically, we've had amendments at the second budget hearing, but people are free to propose them now if they like. Seeing no one come forward, we will defer that to the final public hearing. And I don't believe any recomputation of proposed milled rates will be necessary at this time because we've had no amendments proposed under item F. So then we will and because no recombitation has been proposed there is no public announcement of any percent if any by which the proposed recombuted proposed milled rates exceed the rollback rate. So then we will move to adopt resolution 8724 in incorporating, well there are none. Resolution 872024 is as presented. Who would like to adopt it as presented? So moved. Second. Thank you. Any further discussion? Then Ms. Siddins, please. Drucker. Yes. Nackles. Yes. Thompson. Yes. Wickeder. Yes. Singer. Motion. Wicked. Yes. Singer. Yes. Motion passes 5 votes to 0. Thank you. And we'll now take up resolution 88, 2024 incorporating the tentative budget. Do I hear motion? So moved. Second. Thank you. Motion to adopt by Ms. Nackless. Second by Ms. Drucker. Any further discussion? Then, Ms. Simmons, please. Wicked. Yes. Thompson. Yes. Singer. Yes. Naclas. Yes. Drucker. Yes. Motion passes five votes to zero. Thank you. We will now close the public hearing on this matter. And we'll now turn to resolutions in other business. And Missedans, would you please read the title of Resolution 892024. Resolution 89, 2024. A resolution of the City of Boca Raton imposing fire services assessments against assessed property, residential, commercial and industrial, located within the city for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2024. Approving the fiscal year 2024-2024 through 2025 for eight of assessment. Approving the fiscal year 2024-2025 assessment roll based on the rate of assessment. Providing for severability 2024 through 2025 assessment role based on the rate of assessment, providing for severability, providing for appeal or providing an effective date. Thank you. And before we move to the fire assessment resolution, I just wanted to remind everyone that the final the final milligrate and final budget will be determined. And presumably I proved possibly at our next at our final budget hearing on Monday, September 23rd, 2024 at 6 p.m. here as well. So we'll come back to those, but today we are hearing all the resolutions concerning the fire assessments fee and then coming up the facilities and services user fee. But we'll turn to 8920 or Mr. Brown. Thank you, Mara. As Ms. McGuire mentioned during her presentation, we are not increasing the fire assessments over last year We'll remain at $155 for single family Residences and according to the schedule for commercial properties. There's no change from last years I'll be happy to answer any questions. Thank you council members any questions? Seeing none will open up the public hearing anyone wishing to speak Last call for public comment on 89, 2024. We'll close the public hearing, and we'll entertain a motion to adopt resolution 89, 2024. Do I hear one? So moved. Second. Thank you, Mr. Wigter, and Ms. Nagwiz, respectively. Any further comments? Then, Ms. Siddins, please? Nagwiz? Yes. Wigter? Yes. Trucker? Yes. Singer? Yes. Thompson? Yes. Motion passes five votes to zero. Well thank you. And Missedance, would you please take up, would you please read the title of Resolution 90, 2024? Resolution 90, 2024. A resolution of the City of Boca Raton adopting an amended and restated Boca Raton, adopting and amended and restated Boca Raton Municipal Facilities and Services User Feast Schedule. Providing for severability, providing for appeal or providing an effective date. Thank you, Mr. Brown. Thank you, Mayor. John Michel, the compliance auditor and financial services will make a presentation on the user fee schedule. Thank you, Mr. Brown. Mr. Mayor, council members, good evening. My name is John Michel,, I'm the compliance auditor. And tonight I'm presenting the proposed changes to the municipal facilities and services user fee schedule. Upon your approval, these updates will be effective October 1, 2024 for the new fiscal year. The user fee schedule presents a list of fees that departments charge for the services and facilities that they offer. The department's review of those fees is an integral part of the budget process. Charging user fees has various benefits. One obvious one is that only the users pay for what they use. Another benefit is that all users must pay the fees. So that includes those who are exempt from property taxes and the non-revisidents. Charging user fees allows the city to provide a wide range of in-varity of services and facilities, which aligns with our strategic priority to offer work-class services. User fees are an additional source of revenue and direct support for the services and facilities, which helps mitigate the need for general fund subsidies and relieves the burden on the taxpayers. All this combined ensures our city remains financially sound. Some of the fees presented in this schedule are increased by the consumer price index on an annual basis. To determine this index, we use a June CPI from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics for all urban consumers for the region of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. And this year, this rate was 3.5%. Accordingly and pursuant to the Court of ordinances, we have increased the cemetery embossadium fees, as well as the water sewer and storm water rates and charges with that 3.5%. The municipal services department is proposing a 4% increase to its residential and commercial collection services. This is necessary to help cover the operating and capital costs a 4% increase to its residential and commercial collection services. This is necessary to help cover the operating and capital costs of providing in-house sanitation services. This increase will result in the monthly residential study-to-waste curbside collection fee from $2602 to $2706 and an increase to the monthly residential container collection fee per multi-family unit from $1574 to $1638. The Development Services Department is proposing changes to help offset the cost of providing certain services but also to reduce the redundancies which should contribute to a more streamlined fees structure. One of those changes include eliminating the public notice as cruelty-positive fees, and replacing that with a flat rate administration and public notice fees. This was made possible due to the recent adoption of ordinance 5685, which allows the city to post development application public notice on the county's website. This will result also in an overall decrease in certain application costs. The department's planning and zoning division is proposing a slight increase to some of its fees to upset the cost of providing the services and the building permits, the engineering permits and the co-inforcement fees will remain unchanged for the upcoming year. The Recreation Services Department is proposing changes to help upset the cost of some services. They constantly review their fees to ensure they can cover the cost and that they maintain a competitive price in the market. Some of the fees they are proposing to increase include the triathlon and 5K event fees, the ball field, court and room rental fees, as well as park weddings and special event fees. They are also proposing to increase the daily golf fees at the Red Rift golf course and the Boca Raton Golf and Racket Club. Finally, they're proposing that Beach and Park District area residents who are not residents of the city be granted the resident status for facilities located within the CRA and the city libraries. This was first introduced at July 22, 2020 for Council Workshop. And the changes we needed to implement this recommendation are included in the user fees on the agenda tonight. Finally, the financial services department's proposing to consolidate the standard and expedited real property-line search services fee under a single fee of $150. This effectively eliminates the expedited fee of $300. And then this was made possible because there were some process improvements that allow staff now to do an answer and respond to all those requests in a timely expedited manner. This sums up the highlights of the changes for this year's user-fuse schedule. Have you open to answer any questions you may have? Thank you. Thank you, Council Member Zaynick questions. Mr. Rager. How much are you increasing the golf fees by? I'll have to go into the document and I will tell you where to go at the moment. So the daily fees are located on page 44 of the document. There's two sections, five and six, one for Red Reef, one for Golf and Racket Club. For the Red Reef Executive Golf Course, the fees for the resident's nine-hole is going up from $20 to $25 per person in the winter and the non-resident, nine-haul from $30, $30, $37. So a $2 and $3 increase for the winter daily fees and the same thing for the summer daily fees at Red Wave if you see the walking section. So a small increase is ready to keep up with cost and the market. Item number six for Booker at Ongolf and Rocket Club. You can see in the winter the resident fee is going up from 85 to 91 for 18 hole and then the 9 hole is going up from 54 to 58 so six and four dollars. The non-residents is going up by $8 and $5. The summer daily fees are going up to and by $4 for the $18 whole and by $3 for the nine holes and the non-residents is $6 and $4. Thank you. Is the basis of the increased inflation? The Recreation Services Department continue to review their fees to make sure they cover the cost of foreign service that I assume includes inflation that impacts payroll and then probably the cost of maintaining the golf courses, pesticides and fertilizers. And also, I think the monitor the costs of similar services offering in the city and the vicinity and the determined that these were adequate increases. Is there any discount given because the golf club is under construction significantly at this time? I am not aware, but I quit yet back to you on this following up with the department. My experience is that a lot of people like to golf with friends and not the friends don't always live here. And it's not always just residents. So, the non-resident fee increasing further during a period of construction of $128 seems, I know it's only a 4% increase, but the totality of the circumstances based on the fact that this is under construction and she'll be under construction for a number of years seems like a significant increase to the general populace or retirees or the people who could enjoy golf. So perhaps there's a way we could consider not increasing the fees for this or at least it's something I would consider. Thank you. Do you know what that, thank you. Mr. Ren. The staff has the authority through my office to make adjustments during the year depending if we need to improve play, for example. We've done that at the previous municipal horse. So there are things we can look at as marketing programs. You mean in terms of demands, trying to improve demand, etc. We have that flexibility. The number of rounds was about 40,000 this year and the counties rounds are about 100,000. Something like that. Thank you. For the questions? Mr. Rounded, just because we're on golf, do you have some context or how are how did our rounds? What are we projecting for fiscal year 24 compared to fiscal year 23? Is there any other other indications, you know, that we what are some of the other baselines we use to set the fee that we did? I will have to confer with staff to get those details. Okay. But probably not a marked decrease in probably. No, I see. details. Okay. But probably not a marked decrease in probably if anything possibly an increase. Probably an increase of some you know to some degree but I can't I'm not sure what we might have projected. Very well. All right. Thank you. Further questions? All right. If there are none then we'll open up the public hearing on Resolution 90-2024 anyone wishing to speak on the fee schedule. Seeing no one come forward we'll close the the public hearing and will entertain a motion to adopt resolution 90-2024. So moved. Second. Thank you. Council members, any discussion? Mr. Rager? Yes, I'd like us to consider not increasing the golf fees or the frequent player card, which is a significant annual fee, especially to retirees on a fixed income. So you're just to be clear, you're proposing, am I taking this that you're proposing that we amend the proposed schedule to keep on page 44, the daily fees and a player card for golf and racket club, or what about for Redweave? Keep it the same. Keep golf the same across the board. Keep it the same. Okay. All right. There's Mr. Drucker. My only question is shouldn't we, because it's tentative, we could bring it back next time, and maybe get the data supporting wide increase, and then we can make a educated decision, or I don't know how we came up to that number, so it's hard for me to say, take away that number without knowing the impact of the number. Right. Or numbers. But I'm entertaining, I would entertain the idea of keeping it the same once we receive the data. If Mr. Rucker will yield for a question to address that, Mr. Brown. So we have the resolution now. If we wanted to come back, how would you prefer to handle this? Either make some edits on the fly now, possibly put forward another resolution next time, or then do something during the year once you have more time to adjust. I would recommend that we adopt the schedule as presented. We will gather the data that's necessary, and we can amend the schedule at any time, which we do during the year. Yeah, and conceivably, we could even amend it and the special hearing into weeks. It may be possible, yes, in two weeks. OK. We'll be sure we have thorough data. So why these numbers are projected, what our rounds are now, and what we expect them to be, et cetera. Very very well. Any further questions? Because we're still, we had a motion no second yet, Mr. Thompson. My comment is just to say, I agree with the city manager that we should just adopt these and we can adjust later, but I'm not even actually sure what the proposed changes, because first you said to the frequent player cards, which is only one out of five categories and then I think you said something about everything so I'm not even sure what you're proposing that we change and all the more reason I think why we should adopt it the way that it is and we can change it once we get the data to see if it justifies some sort of reduction. All right, Mr. Wicked here we'd be care to respond to the question. Yeah, no, I think we were talking about the daily fees. So this is 6A, 1, 2, and 3, which are the daily fees, the resident non-resident fees, and the frequent player card. And Mr. Wigdor, if I'm correct, I think you also said red reef as well, so that'd be 5A, 1, 2, and 3. Yes, correct. All right, thank you. Mr. Brown? Just pointing out that the frequent player card is only applicable at the call for the correct. Right. That was my idea. There is not one at Red Read. That's my understanding. Indeed. Right. So, Mr. Wigter, you have a motion. How do you, the, hasn't been seconded yet, but how do you feel about possibly adopting today and then we don't have to proceed with the motion and we can bring this back up when staff has a chance to review? I agree. I withdraw my motion. All right, very well since it hadn't been seconded, I will deem that withdrawn. Any further discussion? All right, seeing none, then I think we're prepared for a vote to adopt adopt a vote on the adoption of resolution 90, 2024. Missed and pleased. Thompson? Yes. Singer? Yes. Wigter? No. Drucker? Yes. NACLIS. Yes. Motion passes four votes to one. Very well. I believe there's no further business to be before us tonight. As mentioned, the final budget hearing will be on Monday, September 23rd, 2024 at 6 p.m. If there are no further comments, and seeing none and without objection, we are adjourned at 641.